MRSA, an acronym from medical term Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in short called ‘mursa’, is a superbug bacterium that is resistant to anti-biotic. Staphylococcus is a group of bacteria, commonly known as Staph, which can cause a multitude of diseases.
In 1951, methicillin, an anti-biotic closely related to penicillin was introduced to cure the Staphylococcus and other bacterial infections, however around two years later Staphylococcus aureus bacteria became isolated that was resistant to methicillin, which as a result then termed as Methicillin – resistant. Due to the same fact, MRSA shows resistant to many anti-biotics, hence the seriousness of the situation caused by this bacterial infection.
The bacterial strains caused by Staphylococcus aureus can produce proteolytic enzymes, enterotoxins, a protein that causes vomiting, diarrhea and in some cases shock, exfoliative toxins, protein that causes skin disruption, blisters and exotoxin TSST-1, protein that cause toxic shock syndrome.
MRSA can be transmitted by direct or indirect contact with affected people to unaffected individuals. Direct transmission can happen through skin and body fluids, while indirect transmission can happen through towels, diapers and toys to name a few ways. Some individuals may have MRSA carried in their bodies, through their skins, throat or nose unknowingly as no symptoms may appear. These people are carries of the bacteria in ways described above and can transmit MRSA to others.
The risk of MRSA is that it you can get it from general activities such as contact sports, sharing personal items such as towels, by having unsanitary or crowded living conditions such as in the military barracks or dormitories and even from health care workers. Since this is resistant to many anti-biotics, the very young and very old are at a risk while those having conditions that suppresses immune system functions, such as cancer or HIV are at a great risks of this bacterial infection. Even hospitalized patients are at a risk of getting infected accidently as there could be health care corkers who maybe carrying the bacteria unknowingly. Unfortunately for hospitalized patients the chances of infection is higher as there are many sites such as surgical incision sites that are easily contaminated with MRSA.
