Overview of Community-Associated MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph that is resistant to certain antibiotics. These antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems (see healthcare-associated MRSA).

MRSA infections that are acquired by persons who have not been recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure (such as dialysis, surgery, catheters) are known as CA-MRSA infections. Staph or MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca.html
The Cabinet of Health and Family Services, Department for Public Health has developed guidelines to assist in educating parents, students and citizens regarding MRSA infections and steps that can be taken to prevent them. These guidelines are also useful in helping control many other communicable diseases, not just MRSA.