I remember a few months ago when my friend who works in a Nursing home, said that one of her patients has MRSA, and I remember asking “what does that mean?” and she would struggle to define the meaning. We found out from her nurse the true definition .

It’s called Methicillin –resistant staphylococcus aureus. This infection is very resistant to antibiotics, and very hard to treat. If you have any MRSA symptoms consult a doctor. Precaution has to be taken so we do not bring this infection home to our families. This infection is caused by a bacterial infection called Staphylococcus aureus. There’s no need for the public to be overly concerned, especially if you are not working in these environments. If there were an outbreak of several people then the public would be informed. Although many people have this bacteria on their skin and in their noses, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will become ill with this infection.

This should be a relief to many who are very concerned. It’s good to know the facts about such an illness as not to create unnecessary fear. These are five important factors about this infection.

1. It is a bacterial infection.

2. There is a specific test to know whether or not you have this infection.

3. There are specific antibiotics available to treat MRSA, but sometimes they do not work.

4. It is commonly found among elderly people in Nursing Homes and Hospitals, and people with compromised immune systems.

5. It can be transmitted through minor scrapes and cuts, and from person to person. Some of the symptoms include swelling around a wound, pus and fever.

I also found out from my friend that some of the precautions that were taken to prevent this infection from spreading, is that she had to wear a gown, mask and gloves to protect herself and the patient. Often times the patient would be isolated. She and her co-workers also had to wash their hands frequently, to prevent the spread of this infection. Once they took the proper precautions, the infection was under control. Maybe as less and less antibiotics are used unnecessarily, we’ll see less people hospitalized so often with this illness.