MRSA—the Super Bug?

Bre Marsh, Student Nurse OHSU

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, commonly known as MRSA, has been making its way to headlines and communities all over the country in the past few years. So what is it, and why are we seeing outbreaks at Eastern Oregon University?

MRSA is a type of bacterial infection that is resistant to some antibiotics and requires more powerful antibiotics for treatment. A majority of MRSA cases have previously been found in healthcare settings with people who have decreased immune systems.

Recently, Eastern has seen a few cases of Community-Associated (CA) MRSA infections. This happens when someone who has not been hospitalized or in a health care facility in the past year contracts MRSA.

MRSA can be spread through close skin-to-skin contact, by cuts on the skin, contact with infected surfaces, close living quarters, or poor personal hygiene.

CA-MRSA infections usually occur on the skin in the form of boils, pimples, or cuts with excess drainage.

To prevent the spread of MRSA try these daily practices (as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol based sanitizer.
• Keep your cuts clean and covered. Place a bandage over cuts until it is completely healed.
• Avoid making direct contact with another person’s cut or dirty bandages.
• Keep personal items personal: avoid sharing personal hygiene products (ex. towels, razors, and tweezers).
• Wipe down shared gym equipment with sanitizer before and after you use it.

There are antibiotics available to treat MRSA infections. It is important to take all antibiotics exactly as instructed. Do not stop taking them even if you start to feel better.

Want to learn more about MRSA? Check out the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov. If you have a type of skin lesion that you are concerned about, contact your health care provider or call the Student Health Center at 962-3524 for further information or to make an appointment.