Understanding MRSA

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - I am certain you have heard about MRSA but you may not know what it is and you should.

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant staph aureus. That's a bacterial infection that's very difficult to treat and very aggressive. In the early years, physicians and nurses knew about MRSA because it was in hospitalized patients. In fact, it still is.

The methicillin in methicillin-resistant staph aureus stands for an antibiotic that is representative of a group of antibiotics that at one time destroyed the bacteria. Over the years, this form of staph has been harder and harder to treat.

Now that it is more common in the community, what can you do?

The first thing is to use a cleanser to wipe exercise equipment in public places before and after use. Make certain you don't share athletic equipment and towels if you're on a sports team. These are important steps you need to look at and ways to prevent MRSA from becoming a bigger problem.