MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) is a type of staphylococcus bacteria.
View full size image. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a strain of staph bacteria that is resistant to the antibiotics normally used to treat such infections. In the 1940s, some 60 years after the discovery of the bacterium S. aureus, doctors began treating staph infections with penicillin.  1 Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA, is a type of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and other drugs in this class. 2  Staph infections are treated with topical, oral, or intravenous antibiotics, depending upon the type of infection. 1 Boils, impetigo, food poisoning, cellulitis, and toxic shock syndrome are all examples of diseases that can be caused by Staphylococcus. 2  Symptoms and signs of a localized staph infection include a collection of pus, such as a boil, furuncle, or abscess. Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive coccal bacterium that is a member of the Firmicutes, and is frequently found in the respiratory tract and on the skin forms where perspiration is present. It is often positive for catalase and nitrate reduction. S. aureus can cause a range of illnesses, from minor skin infections, such as pimples, impetigo, boils, cellulitis, folliculitis, carbuncles, scalded skin syndrome, and abscesses, to life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, bacteremia, and sepsis. In this article. 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.  MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) is a type of staphylococcus bacteria (staph) that is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. MRSA is contagious and can cause life-threatening infection. MRSA isn’t found in the natural environment (soil or water).  General Information about Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus aureus [staf I lō-kok is aw ree us] (staph), is a type of bacteria that about 30% of people carry in their noses. Most of the time, staph does not cause any harm; however, sometimes staph causes infections. In healthcare settings, these infections can be serious or fatal, including:  A staph infection is caused by a Staphylococcus (or staph) bacteria. Actually, about 25% of people normally carry staph in the nose, mouth, genitals, or anal area, and don’t have symptoms of an infection. The foot is also very prone to picking up bacteria from the floor.  Although S. aureus is not always pathogenic, it is a common cause of skin infections such as abscesses, respiratory infections such as sinusitis, and food poisoning. Pathogenic strains often promote infections by producing potent protein toxins, and expressing cell-surface proteins that bind and inactivate antibodies. S. aureus can cause a range of illnesses, from minor skin infections, such as pimples, impetigo, boils, cellulitis, folliculitis, carbuncles, scalded skin syndrome, and abscesses, to life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, bacteremia, and sepsis. Definition. Staph infections are caused by staphylococcus bacteria, types of germs commonly found on the skin or in the nose of even healthy individuals. Most of the time, these bacteria cause no problems or result in relatively minor skin infections.  S. aureus is the most common species of Staphylococcus to cause Staph infections and is a successful pathogen due to a combination of nasal carriage and bacterial immunoevasive strategies. S. aureus can cause a range of illnesses, from minor skin infections, such as pimples, impetigo, boils, cellulitis, folliculitis, carbuncles, scalded skin syndrome, and abscesses, to life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, bacteremia, and sepsis.
http://www.livescience.com/40412-what-is-mrsa.html http://www.medicinenet.com/staph_infection/article.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staphylococcus_aureus http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/understanding-mrsa http://www.healthline.com/health/mrsa http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/staph.html http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/staph-infection-cellulitis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staphylococcus_aureus http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/staph-infections/basics/definition/CON-20031418 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staphylococcus_aureus
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