Download MRSA - Schools

By:
Mac Simonson &
Becky Nelson
•MRSA was discovered in 1961 in the
UK, but didn’t appear in the US until
1981.
•In 2005, the number of cases treated
in the US was 368,600.
•Almost 19,000 of
those were fatal.
• MRSA is resistant to the most common
antibiotics used for staphylococcus
infections, known as beta-lactam drugs.
These include penicillin, cephalexin,
methicillin, and nafcillin.
• The staph bacteria is present in
25%- 30% of the US population at
any given time, not always causing
infection. Only 1%, however, have
MRSA.
• When the staph
bacteria does cause an
infection, it usually
occurs as a boil on the
skin, which can be
treated with
antibiotics. However, it
can become much
more serious if it
enters the body, and
can cause bloodstream
infections, surgical
wound infections, and
pneumonia.
• The most visible signs are swollen, red, pus
filled and painful boils. It spreads through
open wounds, as well as direct skin contact
and IV sites.
• MRSA and other staph
infections most often occur in
hospitals and nursing homes,
among people with weakened
immune systems.
•MRSA is treated with a wide
spectrum of antibiotics, however this
is not always effective.
•MRSA is almost always fatal when
it enters the bloodstream.
•If antibiotics are not working, then
amputation is the only way to
prevent the infection from spreading
through the rest of the body.
Wikipedia -January 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRSA
Centers for Disease Control– January 2009http://www.cdc.gov/
Google Images – January 2009http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi
Mayo Clinic – January 2009http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735
Web MD - January 2009http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/methicillinresistant-staphylococcus-aureus-mrsa-overview