Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known simply as MRSA, is not caused by a virus. Rather, MRSA is caused by the S. aureus bacteria. The phrase "methicillin-resistant" means that the bacteria are no longer affected by antibiotics typically used to treat this infection, such as penicillin and methicillin.
MRSA is a contagious disease, with transmission commonly occurring through direct skin-to-skin contact or through contact with surfaces that are infected with the bacteria. You can help prevent transmission and infection by washing hands often with soap and warm water, keeping wounds clean and covered with a bandage while they heal, and drying clothes in a hot dryer rather than air-drying them.
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