• Main page

• Colds and Flu

• MRSA
 • Publications
 • In childcare programs
 • In schools
 • In the workplace

• Resources for health professionals

MRSA

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is a type of  bacteria that are resistant to certain types of antibiotics. When bacteria are resistant, it means that they can't be killed by common antibiotics.

Many people have bacteria on their skin that don't cause any harm. However, sometimes these bacteria get inside the body through a break in the skin and cause an infection. Infections caused by resistant bacteria, like MRSA, are more difficult to treat. They can also be very serious, especially if they are not treated properly or happen in deeper areas of the body like the lungs.

Publications available to download

• Moving To a Hospital or Skilled Nursing Facility: What to Expect When You Have MRSA - booklet (English)

• Skin Infections from MRSA - fact sheet (Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, English, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese)  

• Living with MRSA - booklet (Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, English, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese)

• Be a Germ-Buster...Wash Your Hands! - poster (Arabic, Bengali, Cambodian, Chinese, English, Hindi, Korean, Nepalese, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Turkish, Vietnamese)

Resources for childcare programs
• MRSA Toolkit for Childcare Programs - Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
 

Resources for schools
• Prevention of MRSA Infections in Schools - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• MRSA Toolkit for Elementary Schools - Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
• MRSA Toolkit for Middle and High Schools - Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
 

Resources for the workplace
• MRSA Infection and the Workplace - Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Department
 

DOH Home | Access Washington | Privacy Notice | Disclaimer/Copyright Information

Washington State Department of Health
Office of Health Promotion
PO Box 47833
Olympia, Washington, 98504-7833
360-236-3736

Send inquires about the Department of Health and its programs to the Health Consumer Assistance Office.
Comments or questions regarding this web site? Send an email to the Web Coordinator.

Documents posted in PDF version on the Department of Health Web site will be made available in an alternative format on request to users who are unable to download or view PDF files on the Web. To request an alternative format, contact the Office of Health Promotion at 360-236-3736.

Last Update : 05/27/2011 03:32 PM