MRSA Bacteria Photo 14

From an intra-operative perspective, this 2005 photograph depicted a cutaneous abscess located on the thigh of a prison inmate, which had been caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, referred to by the acronym MRSA. A clinician had lanced the lesion in order to allow the pus contained therein, to be released.

S. aureus bacteria are amongst the populations of bacteria normally found existing on ones skin surface. However, over time, various populations of these bacteria have become resistant to a number of antibiotics, which makes them very difficult to fight when attempting to treat infections where MRSA bacteria are the responsible pathogens. These antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin.

Photograph depicted a cutaneous abscess, caused by MRSA

Photo credit: Public Health Image Library (PHIL)
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Page last reviewed: January 28, 2019

Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP)