MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
A species of Gram-positive bacterium. This strain of S. aureus is resistant to methicillin and other beta-lactam antibiotics.
Part of: Staphylococcus
About MRSA
During the past four decades, a type of bacteria has evolved from a controllable nuisance into a serious public health concern. This bacterium is known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
About one-third of people in the world have S. aureus bacteria on their bodies at any given time, primarily in the nose and on the skin. The bacteria can be present without causing an active infection. Of the people with S. aureus present, about 1 percent has MRSA, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
History
The Staphyloccoccus aureus bacterium, commonly known as staph, was discovered in the 1880s. During this era, S. aureus infection commonly caused painful skin and soft tissue conditions such as boils, scalded-skin syndrome, and impetigo.
More serious forms of S. aureus infection can progress to bacterial pneumonia and bacteria in the bloodstream—both of which can be fatal. S. aureus acquired from improperly prepared or stored food can also cause a form of food poisoning.
In the 1940s, medical treatment for S. aureus infections became routine and successful with the discovery and introduction of antibiotic medicine, such as penicillin.
From that point on, however, use of antibiotics—including misuse and overuse—has aided natural bacterial evolution by helping the microbes become resistant to drugs designed to help fight these infections. NIH – National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases