Could I Catch MRSA?

Anybody can be infected with MRSA but the elderly and people who are ill or physically frail are at greater risk than the rest of the population.

MRSA infection is not just confined to hospitals. Outside hospitals, people may carry MRSA without it causing harm to themselves or others. These people are said to be colonised with MRSA. Good hygiene is all that is required to prevent the spread of MRSA and indeed many other infections. Thorough hand washing
and drying between caring for people, and whenever necessary has shown to be the single most important measure in reducing cross-infection.

But the vast majority of MRSA infections occur in hospital. There are a number of reasons for this:

• People who are ill or weakened as a result of surgery or medical treatment are more vulnerable to infection.
  
• In hospital, there are usually plenty of opportunities for MRSA to enter the body, e.g. via wounds, surgical scars or through the use of equipment such as catheters or intravenous drips. MRSA may develop in open wounds and is easily spread from one wound to another.
  
• Hospital wards are often fairly crowded and unless staff and patients take adequate precautions, MRSA can be transferred from one patient to the next.

If you are going into hospital, there are a number of precautions you can take to reduce the risk of infection. These are outlined in the section Preventing MRSA. Click here to go straight to that section.