MRSA is a Staph infection that resists many antibiotics which makes it a very difficult disease to deal with. Some common antibiotics that MRSA resists but are used in treating other ailments include  oxacillin, peicillin, methicillin, and amoxicillin).  Usually MRSA is usually caught HA or CA. HA is “Hospital Aquired” which means that you caught the bacteria when you were hospitalized. CA is “Community Aquired” which means that you caught it publicly, usually a workout facility or Gymnasium.

Just because you catch MRSA doesn’t mean that you are “dirty” or are unhealthy. This disease is contagious by touch only, so it is most likely your contact with someone else that causes you to contract it. The gym is often the primary candidate for getting MRSA because of the sweat people leave behind on the equipment. You can also get it from  sheet,towels, clothes, etc. that have beencontaminated.

MRSA is usually transmitted when an Infected person contaminates an object like a treadmill at the gym. Then you use object and get the bacteria on your hands. You then inadvertently touch your nose, and the bacteria enters your nasal canal. From there the bacteria colonize in your nasal canal (often leaving sores in your nostrils). After that the bacteria stays on you for a while and finally begin to show up externally as a skin infection.

There are also some people who are carriers. These people have the Staph bacteria colonized in their nose, but never show any signs of infection. Unfortunately you can still catch Staph from these carriers.

Almost always though, MRSA will present itself as an infection of the skin, such as a boil. A boil looks like an enlarged pimple and is filled with pus. You can get boils anywhere on your body and if untreated they can grow to be very large and endanger your life. See our article on treating MRSA Staph Infections.

News Update: Scientists Stop At Nothing To Kill MRSA For Good

It seems like new viruses are popping up out of no where on a monthly basis. Scientists struggle to come up with answers to these new strains of ancient diseases. They are trying to understand why the viruses mutate, and why now? Study after study show that all of these mutant viruses share similar characteristics and they all seem to be developing the ability to resist modern antiviral drugs.

A new breakthrough in Japan reports that they may have the answer. That answer is the development of a new genre of antiviral drugs that can overcome the resistance issues.

It appears that many antiviral drugs fight viruses by blocking key proteins the viruses need to re-produce. This is key because the mutations occur during reproduction, so by cutting off their ability to recreate they cannot change and create more resistance.

Because of this it looks like it may be possible to create drugs that will block the very first step of the infection process, and force the virus into a static state where it can be eliminated more easily. This is very interesting news indeed.