World MRSA Awareness Month

World MRSA Awareness Month has been taking place each October since 2009. The MRSA Survivors Network organizes the annual campaign to raise awareness and educate the public and healthcare providers on ways to prevent and mitigate infections due to MRSA and other pathogens.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a type of staph that can be resistant to several antibiotics. The agency cautions that anyone can get a MRSA infection or carry MRSA. The risks increase for people with hospitalizations or nursing home stays, skin-to-skin contact with others (such as in contact sports), and exposure to crowded and unhygienic places.

CDC warns that the bacteria can survive on some surfaces, like towels, razors, and furniture, for hours, days, or even weeks. MRSA can spread to people who touch a contaminated surface and can cause infections if it gets into a cut, scrape, or open wound. CDC also reports that the symptoms of an S. aureus infection, including MRSA, depend on the part of the body that is infected. Most of the skin infections appear as a bump or infected area on the skin.

The agency also states that MRSA infections can cause serious problems in and outside of healthcare settings. These may include pneumonia, bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, sepsis, and even death if left untreated.

These are just a few of the many things to know about MRSA and exposure risks. To learn more about this or other infection control, indoor air quality, environmental, health, or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.