Due to a recent influx of questions to me about MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and its transmission recently, I thought I'd share with everyone some info. By the way, I used reliable sources and linked every single one of them at the bottom for you to read on your own! :)
Please note that most of the info in the second link is mostly referring to the person actively having sores and not having had an infection in the past. These sources are good because they're academic/state and consistent with research. Plus they're easy for anyone to read. And I color-coded the ones I quoted with the link so you can keep track of exactly where I got each quote!
But if you want more in-depth stuff, I also provided some links to some great journal articles (I encourage you to read them!).
Some important points:
"Staphylococci or 'staph' bacteria commonly live on the skin and in the nose. Usually, staph bacteria don’t cause any harm. However, if they get inside the body they can cause an infection." - second link.
Note from me: an organism that lives on humans normally but causes harm only if you're susceptible at the time is called an opportunistic organism. The bacteria that cause strep infections do the same exact thing!
"Many people with active infections are treated effectively, and no longer have MRSA." - second link.
"...you can return to your normal routine including going out in public because many activities in the community involve less risk for transmission and because the risk of MRSA infection is low in healthy adults and children." - first link.
"You are more susceptible to get MRSA if you have been very ill, have been in a hospital or nursing home, or have been on many antibiotics. Careful hand washing is the most important way to keep from spreading MRSA to other patients." - first link.
If you've heard of someone acquiring MRSA (or some other infection) while in a hospital (during illness recovery, post-surgery, or during their stay in a nursing home even), this is called a nosocomial infection. They occur when you're susceptible to an infection and happen to be in an establishment that's got opportunistic organisms everywhere!
The above quotes are just a few of the main things I wanted to share based on the questions I've been asked, but there is a lot more you can read about it! Information is everywhere but don't believe just anyone--look up reliable sources yourself or check the sources someone else used (it won't offend me if you check out the ones I used--in fact, I encourage it!) when they explained it to you. There is A LOT of misinformation out there these days, so you want to be extra careful about what you read. But I assure you this information is trusty!
And if you find an issue with my sources or if you have newly updated research with different information (science is ALWAYS changing!), please let me know and I'll fix/add it!
My sources!
University of Virginia Health System
Minnesota Department of Health
Health Care–Associated Invasive MRSA Infections, 2005-2008 (This one was more on the side of stats and tracking but still a good read!)
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): burden of disease and control challenges in Europe (This is a REVIEW article but covers a lot of bases and is quite informative!)
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor so all I've told you is what I've learned from research and in courses I've taken. If you want medical advice, ask your doc!
Have an amazing week and good luck to everyone who will be taking finals!
Love,
Aurielle
