Is MRSA Infection Contagious?
Why is MRSA infection contagious? It is an infection that spreads in a many ways – but usually via skin to skin contact and via the hands. MRSA is a drug resistant type of the staphylococcus aureus (SA) bacteria. SA is on the skin of 30%+ of people and may be carried by as many as 80% of people at some point. MRSA is rare – 1.5% are thought to carry it, but in some cities it can be 10% – and it seems likely to grow.
SA can be as dangerous as MRSA, but is easier to treat as more drugs work when treating it it. The bacteria can live for up for several months on surfaces. Unlike viruses they don’t need a ‘host’ to survive. How is MRSA contagious?
Being MRSA Contagious & Shedding
MRSA is found in the nose but may also be found around the armpits and groin area. We shed bacteria onto many of the surfaces we touch. If you are already quite ill and stationary the bacteria can become concentrated around you and may be picked up by others.
Infection Clouds
Those who have MRSA in their noses can expel MRSA bacteria via sneezing during colds,flu and other respitory infections. This can cause contamination of the environment around them.
Contamination
We may contaminate surfaces when we are MRSA carriers. High touch surfaces such as door handles, computer keyboards etc can be bacteria hots spots that aid transfer to people’s hands. The bacteria can travel to other parts of their bodies or to the skin of others.
Is MRSA Contagious in Your Household
Familes should not share household items such as combs, hairbrushes and towels. These high touch items spread infection.
Transient Carriers
Nurses, doctors or friends may be transient carriers. They might shed the bacteria later that day via washing or changing their clothes but have carried it to another patient or high touch surface. Other transient carriers might include family pets which are the source of reinfection in many families.
High touch actvities and your skin
Contact sports and sexual acts involving nakedness are other means by which MRSA (or SA) can be transmitted to the skin of another person.
MRSA Contagious? What can you do?
SA and MRSA are very common. It is therefore impractical to suggest that ‘social distancing’ may protect a family or individual as you will often encounter MRSA in other contexts. Negative attitudes to MRSA positive people will also hinder rather than help as they seek to cope with their illness. The best response is a strong emphasis on hand hygiene within the family as this will help break the infection chain. Washing your hands 3-5 times a day for 20 seconds and after contact with a known MRSA carrier will eradicate a large part of the risk.
Please be aware that many will carry MRSA and never be ill.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Have you been given an option for nasal decolonization? There is a cream that can help remove MRSA from the nose
Dave Roberts
mrsainfection.net
He may or may not be an MRSA carrier now depending on how he was treated at the hospital. The grandchildren will be exposed to staph in 1 in 3 people they meet. As many as 1 in 10 may have the MRSA type. It will be hard to for them to avoid it in people other than their grandad. When he visits there should be no shared towels, plenty of hand washing at meal times and last thing at night. This will reduce the risk of them becoming carriers considerably. The hospital strains of MRSA seem to spread less easily any way
Hope this helps
Dave
mrsainfection.net
my? is if you have MRSA can you have sexual contact with ur husband and what about kissing! I dont want to give this to my husband & my grandbabies always wants a kiss so im really concerned about all this! I had nose surgery and the test showed I had MRSA, dont know how i got it seeing i can get it anywhere!
my grown son was hospitalized with mrsa in march, and now he want s to go see his new granchild is it safe for him to do so
General cleaning with a hoover will get much of the shed bacteria you can also use this on soft furniture, beds etc. Any linen etc should be washed. The key then is the the high touch surfaces which should be cleaned with a disinfectant. These include door handles, light switches, all kitchen and toilet surfaces. This will generally be enough
Dave Roberts
mrsainfection.net
I am a landlord and I’m renting an apartment that has a person that has the MRSA infection. How would I clean the apartment before renting it out to another tenant?
Because of your work you should be a candidate for nasal decolonisation as you could be an infection ‘hub’. If you test positive for it in your nose then muporicin will help clear it. If you don’t test positive in your nose then you can be deemed MRSA negative. It does hide out in other places but some Hibiclens baths should clear those.
Dave Roberts
mrsainfection.net
1 He might be contagious. The bacteria tends to hide out in the nose and groin area and then infect new areas of skin.
2 He should keep these things away from the kids as they are high touch items that might have bacterial residues
3 Cleaning doorknobs and toilet seats is a good idea
4 If he is nasally colonised there is a drug called muporicin that will help clear it. Hibiclens in a bath will also help clear residues from his skin
5 The test doesn’t have a particular name but it usually involves a nasal swab which is then sent away to be tested
Hope that helps
Dave Roberts
mrsainfection.net
I have had MRSA twice as a result of animal contact. (I work with dogs and cats) Ive never had a bad time with it and got through quickly and, I thought, thoroughly. There were 2 years between my two experiences. What I need to know is HOW careful do I need to be about passing this on to anyone else. I wash my hands thoroughly and frequently, and seldom am ill. If I felt sick, I would just stay home and not be around anyone else.
However, now, most people I am in contact with (not physical) are afraid of getting close. My cat scratch has been completely healed for three weeks and I finished all the meds, Tetracycline, a couple of weeks ago. So, how long am I a danger to anyone. My doctor just says “don’t worry about it”…this doesn’t satisfy others.
My brother has had mrsa twice in the last 18 months. He has been struggling being sober and has been living with us and at shelters. The infection starts with a cyst on his backside. It gets so large that it needs to be cut out. The VA cuts it out, gives him oral antibiotics, sends him home the same day and nothing more. I have 2 small children that get cuts and scrapes all of the time and it is super diffe=icult to be there every second to make sure they are washing hands after using the bathroom, etc. I am scared for my brother to be living in our home. I have these questions: 1 Is he contagious now? 2 What precautions should he take? For example, should he keep all of his personal things like phone, bike, backpack away from the kids? Should he lysol all doorknobs after using them? Should he wipe down toilets with clorox wipes after using? 3 Is there an antibiotic treament when he does not have a cyst to rid him of carrying it in a dormant stage? If so, what is it called? 4 What is the test called to see if we are carriers and don’t know it?
Thank you for any help!
You should probably have a test to see whether you are a carrier. You could be a means of reinfecting him without having any symptoms yourself.
Dave Roberts
mrsainfection.net
The hospital treating him should be giving him special pre-op washes and seeking to ensure his nose is decolonized. They will also often start someone on anti mrsa drugs prior to the op, give drugs after the op and also treat the area around wounds with anti mrsa treatments. This would especially be the case with such major surgery.
Hope this is helpful.
Dave Roberts
MRSA Infection
Request a referell to see a CDC Docter and follow their advice and treatment.
my brother ishaving open heart surgery and has mrsa. what should he do?
Request a laboratory test ; WBC, diff and or complete blood count.
Husband has been treeted about 9 months with MRSA should I be checked or treated?
Phillip Mattie is in Candler Hospital, Savannah, GA with MRSA; Phillip Mattie had gone to the East Georgia Regional Hospital, Statesboro, GA, 3 times in the month of April, 2011; sent home each time with meds, NO INFECTION. March of 2011, Phillip Mattie went to East Georgia Regional Medical Hospital, Statesboro, GA, sent home, mostly same diagnosis 2 times ….Monthly, Phillip Mattie sees his primary care physician in Sylvania, GA, 30 miles one way; gas is almost $4.00 per gallon, NOW WHAT WOULD YOU DO?