Understanding MRSA -- Prevention
How Can I Prevent MRSA?
Staph is spread by contact. You can get MRSA if you touch a person who carries the bacteria -- or if you touch something that an infected person touched.
The Centers for Disease Control says the spread of MRSA is caused by:
Understanding MRSA
MRSA is called a "super bug" because infections are resistant to many common antibiotics. Here's what you need to know about drug-resistant staph:
- Close skin-to-skin contact
- Openings in the skin, like cuts or abrasions
- Contaminated items and surfaces
- Crowded living conditions, like hospitals and prisons
- Poor hygiene
In health care centers, people who carry MRSA are sometimes isolated from other patients to prevent the bacteria from spreading.
According to the CDC, here are some of the best ways to prevent MRSA:
- Wash your hands thoroughly. Use soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Experts suggest that you wash your hands for as long as it takes you to recite the alphabet.
- Cover cuts and scrapes with a clean bandage. This will help the wound heal. It will also prevent you from spreading bacteria to other people.
- Do not touch other people's wounds or bandages.
Do not share personal items like towels or razors. If you use any shared gym equipment, wipe it down before and after you use it. Drying clothes, sheets, and towels in a dryer -- rather than letting them air dry -- helps kill bacteria.
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