FactSheet: Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus (or staph) are bacteria that are found on the skin and in the nose of people. Staph are usually harmless, but they can sometimes cause infection and serious illness. Some strains of staph have become resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and to other antibiotics that were used in the past to treat infections. Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are hard to treat, as most antibiotics will not kill the bacteria.