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.

Staph bacteria (including MRSA) are most often spread by close contact with infected people or the things they touch. It is not spread through the air. See similar questions...

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. See similar questions...

The main way that MRSA is spread is through direct skin-to-skin contact. Contact with contaminated surfaces, such as athletic equipment, mats, and shared personal items (e.g., towels) may contribute a small amount to the spread of MRSA. In very rare situations (e.g., pneumonia caused by MRSA), MRSA could be spread as airborne droplets into the environment. The risk of infection to others would be very low for infection, but the droplets could contaminate surfaces. See similar questions...

Yes. MRSA can spread among other patients, who are often very sick with weak immune systems that may not be able to fight off infections. MRSA is almost always spread by physical contact, and not through the air. Hospitals usually take special steps to prevent the spread of MRSA from patient to patient. One of these steps may be to separate, or isolate, a patient with MRSA from other patients. See similar questions...

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. See similar questions...

Cover your wound. Keep wounds that are draining or have pus covered with clean, dry bandages until healed. Clean your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound. Do not share personal items. See similar questions...

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. See similar questions...

In the community most MRSA infections are skin infections that may appear as pustules or boils which often are red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. These skin infections commonly occur at sites of visible skin trauma, such as cuts and abrasions, and areas of the body covered by hair (e.g., back of neck, groin, buttock, armpit, beard area of men). Almost all MRSA skin infections can be effectively treated by drainage of pus with or without antibiotics. See similar questions...

Staph bacteria, including MRSA, can cause skin infections that may look like a pimple or boil and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. More serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or surgical wound infections. See similar questions...

Although staph can live on surfaces for days to weeks, it doesn’t mean that it will make a person sick. Staph has to get off the surface and onto someone’s skin, where the organism may or may not survive due to the presence of competing organisms. Even if it survives on someone’s skin, it may simply live on the skin and not cause an infection. In order to cause an infection there has to be a break in the integrity of the skin. See similar questions...

Infections causing gastroenteritis can be spread by contaminated food or water or through an infected food handler. Individuals who are symptomatic with gastroenteritis can spread illness to others by touching handrails, elevator buttons, and shared utensils, as well as through direct intimate contact with others while they are ill. See similar questions...

Infected birds shed flu virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with contaminated excretions or surfaces that are contaminated with excretions. It is believed that most cases of bird flu infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces. See similar questions...

Sore eyes can spread by contact of contaminated hands with the eyes (hand to eye contact ) or through touching of eyes with hands which got into contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. It can also spread through droplets from a person with sore eyes who also has a runny nose or cough. See similar questions...