MRSA (Diseases & Disorders)

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant and growing public health problem. It is a bacterial infection that can cause a wide array of problems, ranging from minor skin irritations to life-threatening conditions. MRSA differs from most other bacterial infections because it is resistant to many antibiotics and therefore more dangerous. It is also very contagious. MRSA is the cause of millions of infections annually, and the numbers are skyrocketing. MRSA infections were first identified in patients of hospitals and nursing homes during the 1960s, but started to be found among otherwise healthy individuals outside of health care setting during the late 1990s, and are found in more countries each year.