Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, (MRSA) is a specific strain of the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium that has developed antibiotic resistance, first to penicillin since 1947, and later to methicillin and related anti-staphylococcal drugs (such as flucloxacillin). Popularly termed a "superbug", it was first discovered in Britain in 1961 and is now widespread. Non-methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is termed methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) to make the distinction. Binomial name Staphylococcus aureus Rosenbach, 1884 Staphylococcus aureus (which is occasionally given the nickname golden staph) is a bacterium, frequently living on the skin or in the nose of a healthy person, that can cause illnesses ranging from minor skin infections (such as pimples, boils, and cellulitis) and abscesses, to... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... Antibiotic resistance is the ability of a microorganism to withstand the effects of an antibiotic. ... Penicillin is a β-lactam antibiotic used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible, usually Gram-positive, organisms. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Methicillin is an antibiotic related to penicillin and other beta-lactam containing antibiotics. ... Antibiotic resistance is the ability of a microorganism to withstand the effects of an antibiotic. ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

While an MRSA colonisation in an otherwise healthy individual is not usually a serious matter, infection with the organism can be life-threatening to patients with deep wounds, intravenous catheters or other foreign-body instrumentation, or as a secondary infection in patients with compromised immune systems. Part of the problem is that MRSA does not respond to the antibiotics normally prescribed for the infections in question, and can hence progress unchecked. An intravenous drip in a hospital Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the administration of liquid substances directly into a vein. ... Catheter disassembled In medicine, a catheter is a tube that a health professional may insert into part of the body. ... A secondary infection is an infection by a microorganism subsequent to and simultaneous with an infection by a different microorganism. ... The immune system is the organ system that protects an organism from outside biological influences. ...

Because cystic fibrosis patients are often treated with multiple antibiotics in hospital settings, they are often colonised with MRSA, potentially increasing the rate of life-threatening MRSA pneumonias among them. The risk of cross-colonisation has led to increased use of isolation protocols among these patients.

In the US there are increasing reports of outbreaks of MRSA colonisation and infection through skin contact in locker rooms and gymnasiums, even among healthy populations. MRSA causes as many as 20% of Staphylococcus aureus infections in populations that use intravenous drugs. These out-of-hospital strains of MRSA, now designated as community-acquired, methicillin-resistant staph. aureus, or CAMRSA, are not only difficult to treat but are especially virulent. CAMRSA apparently did not evolve de novo in the community, but represents a hybrid between MRSA which escaped from the hospital environment and the once easily treatable community organisms. Most of the hybrid strains also acquired a virulence factor which makes their infections invade more aggressively, resulting in deep tissue infections following minor scrapes and cuts, and many cases of fatal pneumonia as well. ... The text below is generated by a template, which has been proposed for deletion. ... Gymnasium can have following meanings: Gymnasium (ancient Greece)—an educational and sporting institution in Ancient Greece Gymnasium—a school of secondary education found in several European countries (approx. ... An intravenous drug (IV drug) is a drug administered intravenously, either by an intravenous drip or a syringe. ...

As of early 2005, the number of deaths in the United Kingdom attributed to MRSA has been estimated by various sources to lie in the area of 800 to 955 per year. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

Vancomycin and teicoplanin (glycopeptide antibiotics) are used to treat MRSA infections. These drugs are administered intravenously. Several new strains of the bacterium have been found showing antibiotic resistance even to vancomycin and teicoplanin; those new evolutions of the MRSA bacteria are dubbed "vancomycin intermediate-resistant Staphylococcus aureus" (VISA). Linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin are more recent additions to the therapeutic arsenal, generally reserved for severe infections which do not respond to glycopeptides. Vancomycin is an antibiotic used in the prophylaxis and treatment of infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. ... Teicoplanin is an antibiotic used in the prophylaxis and treatment of serious infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. ... An intravenous drip in a hospital Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the administration of liquid substances directly into a vein. ... Antibiotic resistance is the ability of a microorganism to withstand the effects of an antibiotic. ... Linezolid is a synthetic systemic antibiotic drug. ... Quinupristin-dalfopristin (Synercid®) is an antibiotic used to treat infections by staphylococci and by vancomycin-resistant enterococcus faecium. ...

Initiatives

At the end of August 2004, after a successful pilot scheme to tackle MRSA, the British National Health Service announced its Clean Your Hands campaign. Wards will be required to ensure that alcohol-based hand rubs are placed near to all beds so that staff can hand wash more regularly. It is thought that if this cuts infection by just 1% the scheme will pay for itself many times over. 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also: August 2004 in sports Deaths in August 2004 • 30 Fred Whipple • 26 Laura Branigan • 24 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross • 18 Elmer Bernstein • 15 Amarsinh Chaudhary • 14 CzesÅ‚aw MiÅ‚osz • 13 Julia Child • 8 Robert... The logo of the NHS for England and Wales. ... In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-khwl الكحول, or al-ghawl الغول) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ...

See also

• Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA)

Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) is a strain of Staphylococcus aureus that has become resistant to the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin. ...

External links and references

• Panton Valentine Leukocidin (PVL)
• MRSA Resources