Diseases

Mrsa

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Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) is a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body. It's tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus -- or staph -- because it's resistant to some commonly used antibiotics.

SYMPTOMS

Mrsa looks like a seemingly-harmless skin infection characterized by small, reddish pimple-like bumps and boils. As the infection progresses, they become painful, pus-filled abscesses.
If the infection goes further into your body and invades your lungs, mrsa symptoms become more aggravated, and may include:

fever
cough
shortness of breath
chills

CAUSES

Different varieties of staphylococcus aureus bacteria, commonly called "staph," exist. Staph bacteria are normally found on the skin or in the nose of about one-third of the population. The bacteria are generally harmless unless they enter the body through a cut or other wound, and even then they usually cause only minor skin problems in healthy people.
According to the centers for disease control and prevention, less than 2 percent of the population chronically carries the type of staph bacteria known as mrsa.