Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems. These healthcare-associated staph infections include surgical wound infections, urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia.

Anybody can get MRSA, but MRSA infections are by far more common among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Less often, MRSA can be acquired in the community. It has been associated with recent antibiotic use, sharing contaminated items, having recurrent skin diseases, and living in crowded settings. Outbreaks of MRSA have been reported among participants in contact sports such as wrestling and rugby.

MRSA infection usually develops in hospital patients who are elderly or very sick, or who have an open wound (such as a bedsore) or a tube (such as a urinary catheter) going into their body. Healthy people rarely get MRSA.

Staphylococcus aureus ("staph") is a common type of bacteria (germ) that is often found on the skin and in the nose of healthy people. It can also grow in wounds or other sites in the body, sometimes causing an infection. For example, staph is one of the most common causes of skin infections. Penicillin is a drug that was once commonly used to treat staph infections.

MRSA is usually transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces that have come into contact with someone else's infection (e.g., towels, used bandages).

MRSA can be carried on the skin or in the nose without causing any disease, which is called colonization . Approximately 25-30% of the population is colonized in the nose with staph bacteria at any given time; however, the proportion colonized with MRSA is not known. The exact number of new cases of MRSA infections in Oregon is unknown but the number of cases of MRSA in general is increasing.

Symptoms of MRSA infection are, for the most part, not different from any other staph infection. MRSA may manifest as red, swollen, tender skin surrounding a cut or in the form of a large pimple (boil) and may include drainage of thick white pus. In more serious cases, the infection may cause difficulty breathing, fever and excessive tiredness. If a child develops these symptoms, a parent should contact a doctor.

Colonization of the skin or nose usually is not a reason for antibiotic treatment except in special circumstances. Small, localized skin pimples or boils may improve without use of antibiotics. When antibiotics are required, there are usually only a few from which to choose. MRSA bacteria are resistant to penicillin and all penicillin-like drugs. Most hospital-acquired MRSA are also resistant to numerous other antibiotics.

The Oregon DHS Public Health Division offers this Website: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/acd/diseases/mrsa/mrsa.shtml and The Massachusetts Department of Public Health offers this Website: http://www.mass.gov/dph/cdc/antibiotic/mrsa_helpful_reminders.pdf

Many of you have heard reports in the media of widespread infection with the strain of MRSA known as USA300. Commonly called a staph infection, MRSA is a type of staph that is resistant to some antibiotics. Because of concerns raised in the community, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation would like to share with you some simple information about MRSA.

Staph and MRSA can also cause illness in persons outside of hospitals and healthcare facilities. MRSA infections that are acquired by persons who have not been recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure (such as dialysis, surgery, catheters) are know as CA-MRSA infections. Staph or MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people.