MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a strain of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. It received its name because of its resistance to treatment with the antibiotic methicillin -- it has also become resistant to several other types of antibiotics.
Although MRSA can affect anyone, you can help reduce your risk by keeping cuts and scrapes clean and covered with bandages, washing your hands thoroughly, and avoiding contact with other people's cuts and wounds.
MRSA usually appears as a skin infection (commonly called a "staph" infection), but in some cases, it can cause more serious problems. Some of the most common areas that MRSA affects (and the types of infections caused) include the:
These internal infections can cause serious and even life-threatening complications.
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