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Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Reporting Requirements
Characteristics
- Etiologic Agent: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus,
or MRSA is a strain of the S. aureus bacteria that is resistant to
the beta-lactam group of antimicrobials, which includes common
antimicrobials such as penicillin and amoxicillin.
- Mode of Transmission: MRSA is transmitted mainly through direct
skin-to-skin contact or contact with a contaminated personal item such as a
razor or towel.
- Period of Communicability: As long as sores are draining.
Autoinfection may continue for the period of nasal colonization.
- Incubation Period: Variable and indefinite.
- Clinical Features: Staphylococcus aureus can present in a
variety of ways, ranging from skin or soft tissue infection to bacteremia
involving various organs (e.g., endocarditis, pneumonia, osteomyelitis).
Community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) typically presents in the form of a skin
infection (e.g., boil, abscess, or pimple) Healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA)
can present in a number of ways (e.g., surgical wound infection, blood
infection, or pneumonia).
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