How are staph bacteria spread?
Staph bacteria, including MRSA, are spread by direct skin-to-skin contact, such as shaking hands, wrestling, or other direct contact with the skin of another person. Staph are also spread by contact with items that have been touched by people with staph, like towels shared after bathing and/or drying off, or shared athletic equipment in the gym or on the field. Remember, most people who have staph on their skin do not have symptoms of infections or illness caused by staph. These people are “colonized” with staph. People who do have skin infections should be very careful to avoid spreading their infection to others. Steps to prevent spread are listed below.
