MRSA, it’s our new boogyman. Staph is all over every surface in our homes, even on our skin. It’s a common bacteria and lots of people get staph infections, from scratches, scrapes, cuts, surgical work, tattoos, you name it- if there’s a break in the skin or an injury, staph infections can happen. (Keeping a new wound or injury clean by washing with anti-microbial liquid soaps is a good start to preventing this, by the way. This is key with fresh tattoos or other abrasions, especially.)

When staph becomes resistant to antibiotics, it’s a nasty thing. MRSA spreads quickly, and it can kill you. Most people get MRSA from hospitals and doctor’s offices or dentists. This is because when disinfectants are used regularly and antibiotics are present in an environment, other kinds of bacteria die off, leaving MRSA to rule the field. More than 2/3 of fatal MRSA infections are caused by surgery.

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