Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria that causes common skin infections. Typically, it is easily treated with antibiotics. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a strain of bacteria that has developed resistance to many of the common antibiotics used to treat staph infections, including penicillin. Most MRSA infections occur in people who are or recently have been treated in a hospital or other healthcare setting. It is spread through direct contact with contaminated skin or objects, and health care workers can carry it on their hands for months without any symptoms. A hospital patient typically acquires MRSA through an invasive surgical procedure, and from there it can infect the patient’s blood, bones and other internal organs, leading to serious complications. Because it spreads so easily, and hospital patients tend to have weakened immune systems, it’s become a pressing problem for hospitals and health care facilities.

When a healthy person who has not recently been hospitalized acquires a MRSA infection, it is known as Community Associated MRSA, or CA-MRSA. CA-MRSA is also spread through direct contact with contaminated skin or objects, and is most prevalent in settings like schools, athletic facilities, dormitories, and other areas where a lot of people are sharing a close space. Unlike healthcare-acquired MRSA, CA-MRSA starts as a skin infection and is usually not life-threatening.

For a listing of Multi-Clean liquid disinfectants or disinfecting wipes that are effective against MRSA, please visit Multi-Clean’s Infection Control webpage.

For more information about MRSA and CA-MRSA, visit the CDC Website.