Information about Meningococcal Disease (Bacterial Meningitis)

What is MRSA?
What caused MRSA and CA-MRSA?
What can I do to prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains?
Have there been cases of CA-MRSA in UT Austin students?
What puts people at higher risk of CA-MRSA or more serious forms of the infection?
What can I do to reduce my changes of getting CA-MRSA or other staph infections?
When should I see a healthcare provider?

What is MRSA?

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections have been in the news recently. This information is provided to help answer common questions about the illness.

Staphylococcal bacteria, commonly called "staph," occur normally in the nose and on the skin of almost everyone. Most types of staph never cause infection. When they do, it is usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). While all people have some types of staph on their skin or in their noses, only 25% to 33% of the population has S. aureus.

These people are called "carriers" of S. aureus. They carry it on or in their bodies, but they do not have staph infections as a result. They can, however, transmit S. aureus to others in whom it has the potential to cause infections, some of them with very serious health consequences.

Staph infections may result in minor skin or soft tissue infections like impetigo or boils. These occur with no initial, obvious source of infection. People with staff infections may describe them as an infected pimple or a spider or insect bite. Some infections cause fairly minor symptoms, such as redness or swelling without significant pain. Other infections, however, can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections such as those from abscesses, infected wounds, and blood poisoning. Sometimes the bacteria cause life-threatening infections in the bones, joints, heart valves, and lungs. Staph infections can also cause illnesses in people who eat food that has been contaminated with staph bacteria.

MRSA is an acronym for either "methicillin resistant S. aureus" or "multi-resistant S. aureus." When these antibiotic-resistant strains first emerged, they were resistant to a form of penicillin called methicillin. Over time, they have developed resistance to multiple types of antibiotics. MRSA causes the same kinds of infections as S. aureus that are not resistant to methicillin. However, MRSA can be very difficult to treat and can be fatal.

MRSA emerged several decades ago from hospitals, but a certain form, called community associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) is now found in the wider community.

What caused MRSA and CA-MRSA?

Antibiotics are effective against bacteria, but not germs such as viruses. MRSA (caused by bacteria) and other "superbugs" are the result of years and years of excessive and unnecessary prescription and use of antibiotics.

In the past, antibiotics have been prescribed for colds, flu, and other viral infections "just in case" the symptoms were caused by bacteria or in case a secondary bacterial infection might develop. This over-prescribing has contributed to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Even if antibiotics are prescribed appropriately, they don’t kill every germ they target. Bacteria reproduce very rapidly, and those that survive treatment with one antibiotic soon "learn" to resist others. Because they mutate so rapidly, they become resistant to antibiotics quicker than new, more effective drugs can be developed. Some bacteria, such as MRSA, have become resistant to almost every antibiotic. Currently, only a handful of drugs are effective against this infection.

Consequently, healthcare providers are much less likely to prescribe antibiotics as freely as they have in the past. Patients often schedule healthcare appointments expecting to be given antibiotics only to leave the office without a prescription. Know that healthcare providers will prescribe antibiotics when it is clear that they are warranted, and that this more restrictive use of antibiotics protects us all.

What can I do to prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains?

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be promoted when patients do not take the complete course of a prescribed antibiotic. They either forget to take it, or they stop taking it when they begin to feel better. Then, when new symptoms develop, they often reach for their old, left-over antibiotics. Take the full course of any antibiotic prescribed for you unless your healthcare provider tells you to stop. Never use left-over antibiotics from an old prescription or someone else’s antibiotic to self-treat recurring or new symptoms.

Have there been cases of CA-MRSA in UT Austin students?

Yes. University Health Services monitors the number of MRSA infections seen in our patients. Considering the size of our campus, the number of these infections has not constituted a serious health threat to the UT community. To date, all students who have been diagnosed at UHS with MRSA and/or CA-MRSA have recovered fully.

What puts people at higher risk of CA-MRSA or more serious forms of the infection?

The following can increase one’s risk for CA-MRSA:

Young age. Children may be more susceptible to widespread infection because their immune systems may not be fully developed.
Unsanitary or crowded living conditions such as prisons and military training camps.
Participating in contact sports.
A weakened immune system (e.g. those living with HIV disease)
Sharing towels, athletic equipment, or other personal items

What can I do to reduce my changes of getting CA-MRSA or other staph infections?

The following can increase one’s risk for CA-MRSA:

Wash your hand frequently and thoroughly. Wash them for at least 15 seconds, dry them with a disposable towel, and use the towel to turn off the faucet and open the door. Carry hand sanitizer with you when you can’t wash your hands.
Keep cuts, scrapes, and other wounds clean and covered with dry bandages until they heal. Pus from wounds can carry MRSA, and it is harder for it to spread when wounds are covered.
Don’t share personal items like towels, razors, bar soap, athletic equipment, etc.
If you have a wound or sore, wash your sheets and towels in hot water and dry them in a hot dryer. Wash athletic/gym clothes every time you wear them.
If you see a healthcare provider because of a skin infection, ask them if you should get tested for MRSA to make sure you receive an appropriate antibiotic, if an antibiotic is necessary at all.
If you use anything that was handled by someone with a MRSA infection, wipe it off with a 10% bleach (in water) solution.

When should I see a healthcare provider?

Monitor minor skin problems such as cuts and scrapes, insect bites, pimples, etc. If you see signs of infections such as increased heat, redness, swelling, and/or pus, contact your healthcare provider. If appropriate, they can test your infection to see if it is MRSA. They can then prescribe drugs that are more likely to be effective against MRSA than those prescribed for other types of infections.

University of Texas at Austin students can call University Health Services at (512) 471-4955 to schedule an appointment. You may also call the UHS 24-hour Nurse Advice Line at (512) 475-NURS (6877).

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