Safety First Publication

 

The Big, Bad, Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterium and How to Keep It at Bay

Photo of female employee washing her hands.

Photo by Pamela Lewis

What is MRSA?

MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a Gram-positive bacterium found worldwide that is resistant to common beta-lactam antibiotics such as oxacillin, amoxicillin, methicillin and penicillin and antibiotics of the “cephalosporin” type, such as cefazolin, cefoxitin and ceftriaxone.

Methicillin was used to treat S. aureus and other infectious bacteria starting in 1959, and just two years later MRSA was first discovered. The Staphylococcus bacterium is able to survive antibiotic treatment due to its ability to produce a protein which protects against the effects of the antibiotics. S. aureus in particular has been called a “superbug” because of its ability to become resistant to multiple antibiotics.

MRSA infections occur most frequently in hospitals and healthcare facilities--termed healthcare-associated MRSA(HA-MRSA)--but can also occur in healthy people. When MRSA infections develop in healthy people outside of the hospital setting they are called community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections. When a healthy person is infected with Staphylococcus, it usually presents as various skin infections including

  • abscesses,
  • boils, and
  • other pus-filled lesions.

How do you get MRSA?

A person can get MRSA in one of two ways:

  • Contact with someone infected or carrying MRSA, or
  • Contact with inanimate objects that have recently been contaminated with MRSA, such as
    • door handles,
    • sinks,
    • towels,
    • razors, or
    • floors.

Once exposed, the presence of open cuts, scratches, or skin conditions like psoriasis allow MRSA to colonize the broken areas of skin. Many children and athletes are unaware of cuts and scratches, and therefore are less cautious about their skin coming in contact with another person, or inanimate objects.

How do you avoid getting MRSA?

The best way to avoid contracting MRSA is to avoid contact with an infected person or items that have been in contact with a person infected or carrying MRSA, along with:

  • Frequent hand washing – hand washing is vital in minimizing the spread of bacteria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing hands for at least 15 seconds with soap and warm water. Plain liquid soap is effective for killing Staphylococcus bacteria.
  • Ensure any cut, scrape or skin flaw is treated and covered with a bandage.
  • Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.
  • Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.
  • Disinfection of inanimate objects with a 1:10 dilution of bleach to water or another Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved disinfectant.
  • Contact your doctor immediately if you believe you have a MRSA infection.

Where can you get more information?

Please contact Environmental Health and Safety, 713-500-8100, for further information.

— Robert J. Emery, Dr.P.H.