What are Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA?
Staphylococcus aureus (often called “staph”) are bacteria that are commonly carried on the skin or in the noses of healthy people. Sometimes, staph can cause an infection. Staph are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the United States. Most of these infections are minor, showing up as pimples or boils. Occasionally, staph cause more serious infections. MRSA is a kind of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to some kinds of antibiotics. When appropriately identified, staph and MRSA infections can be treated successfully.
