MRSA Notes

A speedy minute of health from the CDC this week covers Staphylococcus aureus quick and dirty in a podcast on the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and can be accessed here. Here you can find the PDF transcript, but one short minute of a podcast doesn’t give you much info - here it is:

Antibiotic resistant bacteria is difficult to treat and can be deadly. The bacteria Staphylococcus aureus can develop resistance to antibiotics. These strains are called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. It usually affects hospitalized patients, but is becoming common in communities. It often causes skin infections resembling a pimple or boil and can also cause pneumonia. These infections often affect young, healthy people, and can be fatal.

If you have open cuts or skin-to-skin contact with others, or live in crowded housing, you’re at higher risk for an MRSA skin infection. To protect yourself, wash your hands often, cover cuts, and avoid sharing towels and razors.

Not much new info here, but nice to see it addressed by the CDC, even in such short form. Perhaps they can work it up to the longer podcast in the future!

Share This