Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are gram-positive cocci-shaped bacteria that are commonly found throughout the environment, including on the skin of healthy individuals. S. aureus is essentially benign on the skin, although if allowed to enter the bloodstream or internal tissues, S. aureus can cause a range of potentially serious infections. A person who has had some sort of skin trauma (including a minor cut) may be susceptible to a variety of different skin and soft-tissue infections caused by S. aureus, but the infection can usually be successfully treated with penicillin-derived antibiotics. MRSA, or methicillin-resistant S. aureus, are bacteria that have become highly resistant to many commonly used antibiotics, such as methicillin. MRSA infections are more difficult to treat because traditional antibiotics are ineffective, and patients ...