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MRSA is the short name used for a long medical term: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. As a strain of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), or "staph" that is resistant to the antibiotic methicillin, MRSA has caused many types of infections, some of which are life-threatening.
Person-to-Person Transmission
MRSA is transmitted mainly by direct person-to-person contact (from hands or kissing, for example). The MRSA bacterium lives on the skin or in the nasal passages of millions of people — about three out of every 10 people, in fact. In most cases, the MRSA is harmless. However, if the bacterium enters the body through a wound or cut in the skin, it can cause infections that range from mild and treatable to severe, fatal infections.
Antibiotic-Resistant "Staph" Infections
Many staph infections are contracted in hospitals and clinics. Patients may be undergoing invasive procedures that leave them vulnerable to infection, or they may simply contract MRSA from unwashed hands of hospital personnel. Infections that can be caused by S. aureus include:
If any of these infections are resistant to treatment with antibiotics such as the methicillins, they may threaten the life of the infected patient.
Treating MRSA
A particular strain of MRSA began showing up in the 1990s. This form of staph infection is known as community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA), and it's responsible for a very serious form of pneumonia and many severe skin and soft tissue infections. It is rather difficult to treat.
One of the few antibiotics that is still effective against at least some strains of MRSA is vancomycin. However, even vancomycin does not help in every case. It's possible that it's just a matter of time before MRSA becomes resistant to vancomycin too.
See an MRSA Lawyer
If an MRSA infection is threatening a member of your family, contact an MRSA lawyer to discuss your circumstances. Since some MRSA infections are due to conditions at a hospital or healthcare facility, there may be a legal remedy for the losses you incur due to the MRSA