MRSA 101

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MRSA 101

By NBC Augusta Reporters

Story Published: Oct 26, 2007 at 3:49 PM EST

Story Updated: Oct 30, 2007 at 3:46 PM EST

We first told you about MRSA spreading from hospitals to the community on October 4. Here are some facts about this serious, but treatable condition.

MRSA is a very common type of bacteria that most often causes minor skin infections, but can cause more serious illnesses like pneumonia.

Over the years it's become resistant to many antibiotics used to treat the infections, but antibiotics still work.

The infection can become dangerous when it spreads to the blood and bones.

The germs are spread through direct physical contact or contaminated surfaces. In healthy people MRSA usually doesn't cause an infection, but when it does, it typically manifests itself as a bump or boil on the skin.

The best way to prevent it is good hygiene, like frequent hand washing.

Below are a list of links with more information:

Mayo Clinic

National Institutes of Health

MRSA Resources

WebMD

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