Is MRSA Contagious?

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MRSA and Staph infections are most commonly picked up in hospitals and healthcare facilities. However, these contagious bacteria are being found more often in the community. As MRSA continues to grow in the U.S. and abroad, you are probably exposed to MRSA bacteria more often than you realize.

So, is MRSA contagious? Yes, but your chances of catching it can be greatly increased or decreased in a number of ways. There are also ways to practice effective MRSA infection control. The following Q&A's will help you understand how and why is MRSA transmissible in hospitals and the community:

• Is MRSA infectious after every exposure? Just because you are exposed or touch someone with MRSA doesn't mean you will get a MRSA infection. There are many factors that can come into play. Some of these factors include your age, medical conditions, stress, amount of exposure, route of exposure, a history of Staph, MRSA or other infections, certain medications, certain foods, and the strength of your immune system.
  
  Roughly 30% of people carry Staph (and a smaller percent carry MRSA) bacteria on their skin and don't even know it. They may never get infected and have no idea they carry it. These people are called "carriers". Staph or MRSA carriers can transmit the bacteria to others who can then become infected.


• Is MRSA spreadable from surfaces and objects? Staph and MRSA contagious bacteria can live for weeks on counter tops, door knobs, toys, furniture, sports equipment, TV remotes, and the list goes on. How long the bacteria can live depends on the temperature, humidity and other factors.


• Is MRSA transmittable through the air? Yes. MRSA and Staph can pass through the air on dust and other particulates. You can catch MRSA by being close to infected people, which is most common in hospitals, nursing homes and in other healthcare facilities where these infections are more prevalent.


• Why is MRSA contagious mainly in healthcare facilities? Healthcare-Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) is especially contagious in hospitals where it is spread from patient to patient. Healthcare facilities contain many sick people in close quarters, making an ideal breeding ground for infections. Open wounds, surgical contamination and doctors and nursing touching many different people make infections even easier to pick up.


• Is MRSA transmissible in the community? In the past, MRSA was solely found in hospitals as HA-MRSA. As the number of MRSA hospital infection increased, more and more people brought these bacteria into the community, creating Community-Associated MRSA (CA-MRSA). Staph and MRSA bacteria are becoming a serious and growing problem in gyms, schools, prisons, on sports teams and other in other community settings. MRSA and Staph bacteria can be transmitted in most any setting where people are either infected or carrying the bacteria.


• How is MRSA spreadable? MRSA and Staph can easily enter your body through the lungs, nose, mouth, open cuts on your skin, wounds and surgical sites. The bacteria are easily spreadable on your hands, in some body fluids, on clothing and laundry, on household surfaces and other objects and from direct contact with an infected person. MRSA and Staph can also be transmitted to humans from pets (pets pick up MRSA bacteria from humans).

 

Reducing the transmission of MRSA - washing your hands and cleaning your home are important but not enough

MRSA Cutaneous Abscess. Photo Credit: CDC/ Bruno Coignard, M.D.; Jeff Hageman, M.H.S.

Many common cleaning, washing and disinfecting products can actually cause more harm than good. And standard hygiene and infection control methods will NOT kill MRSA bacteria in the air you breathe.

If you've struggled with recurring infections, antimicrobial soaps and other common cleaners could be making your MRSA worse (read more on antibacterial soap dangers). Most standard cleaning and hygiene products are not strong enough to kill MRSA. Some of the most popular products may even cause antibiotic resistance and can weaken your immune system. Effective disinfectants will have a stated MRSA and Staph bacteria kill time. Cleaning products with harsh chemicals can stress and weaken your immune system over time, making it harder to get rid of MRSA and easier to catch a new infection.

While proper hand washing is very important, it is crucial to learn how to protect yourself and your family from airborne MRSA. Some essential oils have been proven to greatly reduce Staph and other airborne bacteria when diffused into the air. And there are many things you can do to boost your immune system, making your body less susceptible to Staph and MRSA if you do contact the bacteria. Proper wound hygiene and keeping open wounds covered to protect others from catching the infection is also important.

 

Controlling MRSA on multiple fronts

You can greatly reduce your risk of catching MRSA or Staph by protecting yourself on multiple fronts. The importance of consistent hand washing and good hygiene cannot be overstated as well as proper hygiene with cuts, scrapes and wounds. Taking steps to control bacteria in your laundry, on your pets and in the air is also crucial.

In the long run, one of the best things you can do is maintain and strengthen your immune system and use natural MRSA treatment options that support your immune system, not tear it down.

 

Protect yourself and your family and keep MRSA out of your home. Written by Microbiologist and Staph Researcher Michelle Moore, the guidebook MRSA Secrets Revealed contains Michelle's 3-Step Infection-Free Method™, a complete how-to guide to naturally prevent and stop MRSA & Staph infections. Get your copy now by clicking the blue button below.