According to: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/understanding-mrsa-methicillin-resistant-staphylococcus-aureus
"Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body. It's tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus -- or staph -- because it's resistant to some commonly used antibiotics.
The symptoms of MRSA depend on where you're infected. Most often, it causes mild infections on the skin, like sores or boils. But it can also cause more serious skin infections or infect surgical wounds, the bloodstream, the lungs, or the urinary tract.
Though most MRSA infections aren't serious, some can be life-threatening. Many public health experts are alarmed by the spread of tough strains of MRSA. Because it's hard to treat, MRSA is sometimes called a 'super bug'"
Read about Tanya and the devastating effects on her, her body, and her life. What happened to her was all a result of getting a little cut, slicing celery. The irony of all of this is that MRSA is not that easily detectable, especially if it attacks the 'inside' of your body. Had it not been for this woman insisting that something with her physical body was "just not right", she most likely would have died. Doctors need to "listen" when a patient says, "something's just not right".
I saw her heart-wrenching story on the OWN channel this morning:
http://www.oprah.com/health/Dr-Ozs-Warning-About-MRSA-and-Deadly-Bacteria/1
What I don't understand is why MRSA has become so prevalent in hospitals. Do the nurses and doctors not follow the general rules of prevention and cleaniness? The articles I read and news blurbs I see are indicating that MRSA is now killing more people than die from AIDS! Wowsa, scary ...
According to The Centers for Disease Control the spread of MRSA is caused by:
- Close skin-to-skin contact
- Openings in the skin, like cuts or abrasions
- Contaminated items and surfaces
- Crowded living conditions, like hospitals and prisons
- Poor hygiene
Here are a few other links that might enlighten you more about MRSA, its symptoms, causes, effects, and prevention.
http://www.medicinenet.com/mrsa_infection/article.htm
http://bacteria.emedtv.com/mrsa/mrsa-prevention.html