How fast does mrsa grow

But the problem still remains: The rapid division of bacterial cells causes them to evolve resistance to most treatments rather quickly. In fact, there is a good chance that the staph infection you picked up from that contaminated doorknob is already antibiotic resistant. Most staph infections in humans are caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , or MRSA, a drug-resistant phenotype that has been circulating for more than 45 years, almost as long as methicillin has been on the market.

According to the U. The irony is that methicillin, a chemically modified version of penicillin, was developed in the s as an alternative treatment for the growing proportion of staph infections already resistant to penicillin. Needless to say, physicians no longer prescribe traditional antibiotics for methicillin-resistant staph infections Micet, Instead, they usually administer "last-resort" intravenous vancomycin, although a growing number of doctors are now prescribing other newer antibiotics.

Of course, not all staph infections are deadly. Most deaths from S. Moreover, most MRSA deaths occur in the hospital among patients being treated for other reasons and whose immune systems are too weak to fight off the infection, even when vancomycin is administered. In fact, MRSA used to occur only in hospitals. Also, as little as twenty years ago, MRSA did not spread via contaminated doorknobs except in hospitals.

The first so-called "community-acquired" MRSA infection—an infection occurring in a person neither hospitalized nor having had any recent contact with someone who was hospitalized—wasn't reported until the early s.

Since then, a growing number of MRSA cases and deaths have occurred outside of hospitals. As worrisome as MRSA is, it is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.

In fact, there are a number of far more threatening drug-resistant bacteria in existence, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For example, P. This outer membrane makes it more difficult for antibiotic chemical compounds to actually get inside the bacterial cell so that they can inflict damage. Moreover, once the antibiotic compounds are inside it, P. MRSA does not have efflux pumps. Because of these biological features, P.

In both the hospital and the community, antibiotic resistance has emerged as a major public health problem. In fact, some scientists consider it the most important public health problem of the twenty-first century.

The problem exists not just because bacterial mutation rates lead to a rapid accumulation of mutations including drug-resistant mutations , but also because of the selective pressures that antibiotics impose. If a drug-resistant phenotype were to evolve and there were no antibiotic present, then that phenotype would fare no better than any other bacterial phenotype.

In other words, it wouldn't flourish, and it might even die out. It is only when antibiotics are used that drug-resistant phenotypes have a selective advantage and survive. Of course, not all mutations confer resistance, and most probably have nothing at all to do with resistance. That said, bacterial populations with especially high mutation rates so-called "hypermutable" strains often have higher antibiotic resistance rates.

For example, in a study of cystic fibrosis CF patients infected with P. Plus, there are other ways that bacteria evolve resistance, in addition to spontaneous nucleotide base mutations. For instance, bacteria can acquire resistance genes through conjugation i. The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance has become such an important public health problem that many federal and state public health agencies now distribute educational posters to encourage "good hygiene" practices—practices that prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from one person to another and help keep those mutant S.

Maybe you have seen one of these posters in a school hallway, in a locker room, or in a public bathroom, imploring you to wash your hands with soap and water to help prevent disease.

In other words, even "last-resort" vancomycin doesn't always work. Therein lies the crisis: People are dying from "simple" bacterial infections, all because of a very low mutation rate.

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics and other drugs is inevitable, and MRSA is just one example of why scientists must be so concerned about mutation rates. For instance, the inevitability of mutation and the development of resistance is one of the reasons why tuberculosis, thought to be essentially eradicated in the s, is again on the rise in many countries. If you or your child has a MRSA infection, tell people in your household, school, and sports teams.

They can take steps to protect others from infection. Get medical care for your child right away if you notice symptoms. A MRSA infection can quickly become severe if not treated. Don't try to treat a MRSA infection on your own. This can spread the infection to other people or make it worse for your child. Cover the infected area, wash your hands, and call your child's healthcare provider.

It can be life-threatening if it spreads to the lungs, the bloodstream, or other organs. MRSA infection can be harder to treat than other staph infections. But other oral or IV intravenous antibiotics can successfully treat the infection.

MRSA may be on sports equipment, clothing, and may transfer from skin to skin during play. Symptoms include painful red bumps that leak fluid. A child may also have a fever, chills, and headache. You will likely be given a prescription antibiotic ointment to use on your child.

Your child may also need to take antibiotic medicine by mouth. At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis, and any new medicines, treatments, or tests.

Also write down any new instructions your provider gives you for your child. Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed and how it will help your child.

Also know what the side effects are. If your child has a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit. These infections usually require antibiotics through an IV , sometimes for long periods of time depending on the severity of your infection. If you have a large enough skin infection, your doctor may decide to perform an incision and drainage. Incision and drainage are typically performed in an office setting under local anesthesia. Your doctor will use a scalpel to cut open the area of infection and drain it completely.

You may not need antibiotics if this is performed. Isolation prevents the spread of this type of MRSA infection. Hospital personnel caring for people with MRSA should follow strict handwashing procedures. To further reduce their risk for MRSA, hospital staff and visitors should wear protective garments and gloves to prevent contact with contaminated surfaces. Linens and contaminated surfaces should always be properly disinfected. While many people have some MRSA bacteria living on their skin, excess exposure can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening infections.

Symptoms and treatments can vary based on the type of MRSA infection a person has. Practicing excellent infection prevention techniques, such as washing hands regularly, refraining from sharing personal items, and keeping wounds covered, clean, and dry can help prevent its spread.

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Most staph skin infections are minor and heal on their own or after treatment with antibiotics. MRSA bacteria are different than other staph bacteria. In a normal staph infection, antibiotics will kill the disease-causing bacteria and prevent them from growing. In a MRSA infection, the antibiotics usually used to treat staph infections don't work. The bacteria are not killed and continue to grow. When common antibiotics don't work on bacterial infections, it's known as antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistance makes it very difficult to treat certain bacterial infections. Every year, nearly 3 million people in the United States are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and more than 35, people die from the infections.

In the past, MRSA infections mostly happened to hospital patients. Now, MRSA is becoming more common in healthy people. The infection can be spread from person to person or through contact with objects that are contaminated with the bacteria.

It is not spread through the air like a cold or flu virus. But you can get a MRSA infection if you share personal items such as a towel or a razor. You may also get the infection if you have close, personal contact with someone who has an infected wound. This can happen when large groups of people are close together, such as in a college dorm, locker room, or military barracks. MRSA can be treated with special, powerful antibiotics. If left untreated, a MRSA infection can lead to serious illness or death.

This test is most often used to find out if you have a MRSA infection. The test may also be used to see if treatment for a MRSA infection is working. You may need this test if you have symptoms of a MRSA infection.