What you can do to help prevent MRSA
(Staph infection)

Staph is both preventable and treatable. – Dr. Gary Oxman

Residents of the Portland metro area are encouraged to wash their hands thoroughly and frequently.  Hand-washing can prevent the spread of many infections, including Staphylococcus aureus (“Staph”), and a type of Staph called MRSA, which is resistant to some common antibiotics.

 “Staph is both preventable and treatable,” according to Dr. Gary Oxman, Health Officer for Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties.  “Parents should be especially mindful of how important it is to both set an example and teach our children how important it is to wash their hands and cover cuts.”

MRSA spreads by direct skin-to-skin contact. Less often, it can be spread by contact with items such as towels or sports equipment that have come into contact with infected skin. The microbe, which is common on the skin, usually causes infections that will heal without treatment. A staph infection may look like a pimple or boil on the skin. The lesion may be red, swollen, painful, or have pus.

In rare instances the bacteria can invade the lungs or the bloodstream causing more serious illness.  Such infection may cause difficulty breathing, fever and excessive tiredness. If a child develops these symptoms, a parent should contact a doctor.

MRSA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is MRSA?

MRSA stands for m ethicillin- r esistant s taphylococcus a ureus. Staphylococcus aureus , or more simply "staph," are bacteria that often live in the nose or on the skin of healthy people. When these bacteria penetrate the skin or invade other parts of the body, a staph infection may result. Staph bacteria that are resistant to the action of methicillin (a type of penicillin) and related antibiotics are referred to as MRSA.

How common is MRSA?

MRSA can be carried on the skin or in the nose without causing any disease, which is called colonization . Approximately 25-30% of the population is colonized in the nose with staph bacteria at any given time; however, the proportion colonized with MRSA is not known.

The exact number of new cases of MRSA infections in Oregon is unknown but the number of cases of MRSA in general is increasing. The Oregon Department of Human Services is currently running a surveillance project for MRSA to better understand MRSA infection patterns.

Who gets MRSA and how does it spread?

Anybody can get MRSA, but MRSA infections are by far more common among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Less often, MRSA can be acquired in the community.  It has been associated with recent antibiotic use, sharing contaminated items, having recurrent skin diseases, and living in crowded settings. Outbreaks of MRSA have been reported among participants in contact sports such as wrestling and rugby.

As with other types of staph , MRSA can be spread among people having close contact with colonized or infected people. MRSA is almost always spread by direct physical contact. Spread may also occur through indirect contact by touching objects (e.g., towels, sheets, wound dressings, clothes, workout areas, or sports equipment) contaminated by a person colonized or infected with MRSA.

What are the symptoms of MRSA?

Symptoms of MRSA infection are, for the most part, not different from any other staph infection.  MRSA may manifest as red, swollen, tender skin surrounding a cut or in the form of a large pimple (boil) and may include drainage of thick white pus.  In more serious cases, the infection may cause difficulty breathing, fever and excessive tiredness. If a child develops these symptoms, a parent should contact a doctor.

How is MRSA diagnosed?

Diagnosis is confirmed by identifying the bacteria grown in a laboratory culture from a sample, typically taken from a draining lesion or a swab of the back of the nose.  Some health care providers will diagnose MRSA based on the appearance of the skin lesion and a known history of or exposure to MRSA.

What is the treatment for MRSA?

Colonization of the skin or nose usually is not a reason for antibiotic treatment except in special circumstances. Small, localized skin pimples or boils may improve without use of antibiotics. When antibiotics are required, there are usually only a few from which to choose.

MRSA bacteria are resistant to penicillin and all penicillin-like drugs. Most hospital-acquired MRSA are also resistant to numerous other antibiotics. MRSA acquired in the community usually has a broader range of potentially effective antibiotics.

What should I do if I think I have a staph or MRSA infection?

See your healthcare provider. In the meantime, keep any wounds covered with a clean dressing and wash your hands frequently to avoid spreading potential infections to others in your household.

If I have been diagnosed with MRSA, what can be done to prevent MRSA infections spreading?

• Cover your wound . Keep wounds that are draining or have pus covered with clean, dry bandages. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on proper care of the wound. Pus from infected wounds can contain staph and MRSA or other bacteria, so keeping the infection covered will help prevent the spread to others.
• Wash your hands . You, your family, and others in close contact should wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water, especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.
• Do not share personal items. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, washcloths, razors, clothing, or athletic uniforms that may have had contact with the infected wound or bandage.
• Wash sheets, towels, and clothes that become soiled with hot water and laundry detergent. Drying clothes in a hot dryer, rather than air-drying, also helps kill bacteria. Make sure your wound is covered if you participate in contact sports or other skin-to-skin contact.
• Keep counter tops, tubs and sinks clean. Clean bathroom counters, sinks, tubs and toilets frequently, as well as any other household surfaces that come into direct contact with your wound, your wound drainage, or your hands after you have tended to your infection.
• Talk to your healthcare providers. While you are healing, tell any other healthcare providers who treat you that you have a MRSA skin infection. In the future, tell your healthcare providers that you have had a MRSA infection.

Where can I get more information about MRSA?

You can find more information about MRSA at these Websites, from which this FAQ was adapted:

• The Oregon DHS Public Health Division offers this Website: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/acd/diseases/mrsa/mrsa.shtml and
• The Massachusetts Department of Public Health offers this Website: http://www.mass.gov/dph/cdc/antibiotic/mrsa_helpful_reminders.pdf

Prepared by Jennifer Vines, MD, MPH
Deputy Tri-County Health Officer
October 30, 2007

Page updated February 25, 2008