The MRSA Virus
The MRSA virus or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a pretty severe threat to human health. Although the word ‘virus' is associated with the name, it is actually a strain of bacteria.
However, the strain shows many qualities of virus too. Its most important and threatening quality is that it can mutate and therefore grow immune to antibiotics or other applicable medicines with time.
In its preliminary stages, the MRSA infection was curable through the application of penicillin. Over time, the strain has grown immune to the medicines that worked on it earlier. Now, it is a quite powerful strain that is hardly curable in its advanced stages.
However, if detected in the early stages, the strain of the disease can be controlled and destroyed. That is why it is important to know about the MRSA virus and its effects on human health.
The MRSA virus infection, in its early stage is similar to that of a spider bite. The recognizable symptom of the infection is a red bump that can be taken for a pimple, pustule or a boil.
Sometimes, the appearance of a cluster of red bumps is also noticed after the infection of the bacteria. The nickname of this strain of bacteria is staph. Importantly, staph infection is increasingly affecting the human population.
It is estimated that about 7% of hospital staff and 2% people of community are infected with staph infection. The two most common sites of infection of staph are the skin and the nose. The usual sites include portions of skin that has cuts or abrasions.
The infection may also occur in the areas of body covered by hair. The MRSA virus strain may be acquired through skin to skin contact and sharing of utensils with an already affected individual. In many cases, a person may become a carrier of the strain without showing any special symptom of the infection.
There are usually two types of this strain. The healthcare associated MRSA disease can be acquired in the healthcare facilities while those that spread within the community are known as community associated MRSA virus. In recent times the number of people infected by both these two types of strains has increased.
Sometimes, the MRSA virus infection may get severe although in some cases there might be no symptoms at all. It is a contagious disease and can spread very rapidly.
The disease may transmit through contact with a person already infected with the virus, by a person who is a carrier of the disease and through a contaminated object when it comes in contact with the skin or other areas.
The common treatment procedure of an infection is the use of antibiotics. The most common medicines that are used for treatment of the MRSA disease include Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim , Minocycline, Doxycycline and Tetracycline.
However, the application of these antibiotics may be altered if the strain is resistant to a particular antibiotic. In case of mild to moderate infection, sometimes, the healthcare provider may also use an injection to remove some of the infected fluid out of the infected area.
It is important to learn about the MRSA virus infection because it is a severe form of infection that spreads very fast. It is best to consult a doctor as soon as possible if you feel that you have acquired the staph strain because its treatment in early stages is easy and effective.