What is MRSA? (Inmates)
January 2013
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2013-118
What is MRSA?
- MRSA is a germ that lives on the skin and in the nose.
- An untreated MRSA infection can become very serious.
MRSA usually starts as a bump on the skin.
It can be red, full of pus, warm, painful, or swollen, and may look like a spider bite.
If you have a skin sore:
- Contact a nurse or doctor right away.
- Don’t touch or pop the sore.
- Don’t touch the pus or drain it yourself.
- Cover the sore with a bandage.
How does MRSA spread?
- MRSA spreads when people touch infected skin, pus, or surfaces where it is present.
- Surfaces include personal items, such as razors, clothing, towels, and bedsheets.
- Surfaces include things commonly used by everybody, such as doorknobs and gym equipment.
- MRSA can spread by tattooing done by inmates.