Version July 2025
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What is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus? —
This is a type of bacteria (germ) that can cause an infection that is sometimes harder to cure. Doctors and nurses sometimes call it "MRSA" (which sounds like "mursa") for short.
People normally carry all sorts of germs inside their body and on their skin. The body usually controls these germs, so they do no harm. About 1 in 3 people have a germ on their skin called "staph." In these people, staph usually causes no problems. But if they get a cut or a scrape, the germ can cause an infection.
A staph infection can be mild, and affect only the skin. But if the infection goes deeper into the body, it can be very serious. These more serious infections tend to happen in young children, older adults, and people who cannot fight infection well.
Methicillin, a type of penicillin, is an antibiotic used to treat infections caused by staph. But MRSA is a type of staph that has learned to outsmart methicillin so the medicine does not work. Doctors call this "resistance."
How do people catch MRSA? —
Many people carry MRSA on their skin without knowing it. This is called being "colonized." You can pick up the germ by:
●Touching a person who has MRSA on their skin
●Being nearby when a person with MRSA breathes, coughs, or sneezes
●Touching a table, handle, or other surface that has the germ on it
If the germ is on your skin and you cut yourself or have another injury, you can get infected.
How do I know if I have a MRSA infection? —
If you are colonized with MRSA, you will not have any symptoms. But if you get an actual MRSA infection, you will probably have symptoms. For example:
●You might have a red, tender lump on your skin. The lump might ooze pus.
●You might have a cluster of bumps that look like pimples or insect bites.
●If the infection gets into your blood, it can give you a fever or make you feel tired.
If your doctor thinks that you have MRSA, they can take a swab from your nose and check it for germs. In some cases, blood tests, X-rays, and other tests might be needed.
How is MRSA treated? —
Your doctor can give you special antibiotics (germ-killing medicines) to treat your infection. If you get medicines to take at home, follow the directions exactly. Take all of the pills you are given, even if you feel better before you finish them. If you do not take them all, the MRSA could come back even stronger.
If you do not get better with the medicines that come as pills, or if you are very sick, your doctor might put you in the hospital. There, they can give you stronger medicines through a thin tube that goes into a vein, called an "IV."
If you are colonized with MRSA but don't have an infection, your doctor will decide whether you should get treatment. Most people who are otherwise healthy don't need it, but some do.
How can I help prevent MRSA? —
Wash your hands often with soap and water. This is the best way to prevent most infections. It is especially important for people who are in the hospital or a nursing home.
If you are in the hospital, make sure that your doctors and nurses wash their hands before they touch you. If there is no sink, they can use an alcohol-based hand gel instead.
If you are already colonized with MRSA, your doctors and nurses might wear special hospital gowns and gloves when in your room. This prevents passing MRSA on to other patients.
Patient education: MRSA screening test (The Basics)
Patient education: Multidrug-resistant organisms (The Basics)
Patient education: Skin abscess (The Basics)
Patient education: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (The Basics)
Patient education: How to wash your hands (The Basics)
Patient education: Isolation precautions (The Basics)
Patient education: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (Beyond the Basics)
