What is merca (mersa?) and how do you get it?

Wikipedia knows all.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterial infection. I remember there was a big outbreak a couple of years ago in high schools in the United States. The breakouts were prevalent amongst athletes at first because of the shared equipment and space in the locker rooms. The bacteria lives on the skin and can be transmitted through touch if you have a cut or sore. Here is some more information about it.

The reason we care about it so much is because it’s very hard to treat – it doesn’t respond to most antibiotics (and especially not the most-loved antibiotics).

As a former hospital security officer who came into contact with patients infected with MRSA, I will offer my own very limited knowledge of this condition.

Its reputation is one thing and its reality is another.

You cannot “catch” it like the flu. You can expose yourself to it by bodily contact from an exposed person and (open skin breaks) to yourself.

Staph infections are not to be taken lightly and as time goes by they are becoming more ominous due to their resistant capabilities. They are to be avoided whenever possible.

However, there is more hype in the publicity then there is merit in the reality.

Do not run screaming away from a person infected with MRSA.

In the same way that you would treat an AIDS patient. Try to be knowledgeable about what you are dealing with.

@angiesquestion here is a link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about MRSA. Click through and read about MRSA. It is a very, very serious type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics called beta-lactams.

According to the CDC, “MRSA infections, as with all staph, are usually spread by having contact with someone’s skin infection or personal items they have used, like towels, bandages, or razors that touched their infected skin. These infections are most likely to be spread in places where people are in close contact with others—for instance, schools and locker rooms where athletes might share razors or towels.

“Factors that have been associated with the spread of MRSA skin infections include: close skin-to-skin contact, openings in the skin such as cuts or abrasions, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions, and poor hygiene. People may be more at risk in locations where these factors are common, including: athletic facilities, dormitories, military barracks, households, correctional facilities, and daycare centers.”

Risks from Contaminated Surfaces
“MRSA is found on people and not naturally found in the environment (e.g., soil, the ocean, lakes). MRSA could get on objects and surfaces outside the body if someone touches infected skin or certain areas of the body where these bacteria can live (like the nose) and then touches the object or surface. Another way that items can be contaminated with staph and MRSA is if they have direct contact with a person’s skin infection. Keeping skin infections covered with bandages is the best way to reduce the chance that surfaces will be contaminated with MRSA.

“Even if surfaces have MRSA on them, this does not mean that you will definitely get an infection if you touch these surfaces. MRSA is most likely to cause problems when you have a cut or scrape that is not covered. That’s why it’s important to cover your cuts and open wounds with bandages. MRSA can also get into small openings in the skin, like the openings at hair follicles. The best defense is good hygiene. Keep your hands clean, use a barrier like clothing or towels between you and any surfaces you share with others (like gym equipment) and shower immediately after activities that involve direct skin contact with others. These are easy ways to decrease your risk of getting MRSA.”

http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/definition/index.html

Increasingly common in hospitals. A good friend of mine got this when in a hospital for heart disease.
I thought it was the flesh-eating disease but I guess not.