How does a "Super Bug" like MRSA develop?

MRSA has been in the news a lot lately. It is unfortunate that the media has caused a small panic over a bacteria that has been around for at least four decades.

What is MRSA? How does a bacteria become a resistant “super bug”?

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of staph infection that is resistant to methicillin and other commonly used antibiotics in the same class, including penicillin, amoxicillin, and oxacillin.

Recently, there was a teenager who was said to have died from MRSA. This is a terrible tragedy especially since it can be treated. I hope to give info regarding this and put to rest the fears that I believe are being fueled by the media.

I. What is MRSA?

Staphylococcus aureus is a species of bacterium commonly found on the skin and/or in the noses of healthy people. Although it is usually harmless at these sites, it may occasionally get into the body through breaks in the skin such as abrasions, cuts, wounds, surgery sites and cause infections. These infections may be mild like pimples or boils or serious when it gets into the blood stream.

It is the staph infection that a lot of antibiotics are useless to treat. However, there are antibiotics that can treat it. For instance, the drug of choice to treat MRSA is Vancomyicin.

- How does one “catch” MRSA?

MRSA is a contact infection. You must touch it to catch it.

-How do you keep from getting MRSA?

Hand washing is the number one way to keep from getting an infection. Whether that infection be the common cold or MRSA. A kindergarten teacher says that a person should wash their hands as long as it takes to sing the ABC song.

If you get a cut or a scratch, wash the site with antibacterial soap, keep it clean, and cover it with a band aid.

Avoid touching other people’s personal items. For instance, in Gym class don’t use someone elses towel or razor.

- Diagnosis of MRSA

The only way that MRSA can be diagnosed is if your doctor orders a culture to be taken from the area that is suspected of the infection. This is a simple painless test. They take a cotton swab and run it over the area and send it to lab.

Only then, can MRSA be diagnosed for sure.

- Treatment for MRSA

Depending on the location of the MRSA infection, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. The doctor may have to drain the wound or open it to let it drain naturally. Whatever and which ever, your doctor needs to be involved.

II. How Does a Super Bug like MRSA come about?

-The way that a bacteria becomes resistant to antibiotic treatment and then becomes a “super bug” is actually very simple. Bacteria is very smart. When person is sick and they go to the doctor and the doctor prescribes antibiotics, a person needs to take those antibiotics until they are all gone. If we take antibiotics only until we feel better, some of the bacteria is left in our system. It looks at the antibiotic, sees how it kills the bacteria and it mutates. The way that the antibiotic used to kill that particular bacteria is no longer useful. That bacteria is now resistant to that antibiotic. Every time an antibiotic is given and taken and that bacteria is not wiped out, that bacteria becomes smart and resistant to that antibiotic. You get enough of a mutated bacteria and you get MRSA, the super bug. Fortunately, there are antibiotics to treat MRSA, so it is really not that super.

The hospital which I am employed has a grant to look into people that come into the hospital already infected with MRSA as opposed to those who catch it at the hospital. It is amazing how many people are colonized with MRSA and they have no idea, no symptoms…nothing.

Education is the key to understanding MRSA. Media induced panic is not.