Food handlers who don't properly wash their hands can transfer staph from their skin to the food they're preparing.
Foods that are contaminated with staph look and taste normal. If staph bacteria invade your bloodstream, you may develop a type of infection that affects your entire body.
Called sepsis, this infection can lead to septic shock — a life-threatening episode with extremely low blood pressure. Wash your hands.
Careful hand-washing is your best defense against germs. Wash your hands with soap and water briskly for at least 20 seconds. Then dry them with a disposable towel and use another towel to turn off the faucet. If your hands aren't visibly dirty, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Wash your hands with soap and water regularly, such as before, during and after making food; after handling raw meat or poultry; before eating; after using the bathroom; and after touching an animal or animal waste.
Wash clothing and bedding in hot water. Staph bacteria can survive on clothing and bedding that isn't properly washed. To get bacteria off clothing and sheets, wash them in hot water whenever possible.
Also, use bleach on any bleach-safe materials. Drying in the dryer is better than air-drying, but staph bacteria may survive the clothes dryer. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Staph infections are caused by staphylococcus bacteria, types of germs commonly found on the skin or in the nose of even healthy individuals.
Staph infection Open pop-up dialog box Close. Staph infection MRSA infections start out as small red bumps that can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses.
Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Jameson JL, et al. Staph infections can turn lethal if the bacteria enter the bloodstream. The risk of getting a staph infection varies depending on, among other things, the strength of your immune system, the types of sports you play, your age, and any other health problems you have. The most common risk factors are recent antibiotic use, recent hospitalization, frequent needle sticks, and playing contact sports like wrestling and football.
And people who have had previous staph infections are more likely to develop them again. In adolescence through age 45 or 50, the most common type of infection is a boil—the virulent infection of a hair follicle or oil gland. Boils often develop under the arms, around the groin, or on the buttocks.
Children may also get a staph skin infection called impetigo. It is a contagious, painful rash around the nose and mouth that forms fluid-oozing blisters. Even newborns can get a staph infection called Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome. The condition results in fever and scalp rash, caused by toxins from a staph infection in the mother during pregnancy. Cellulitis, an infection of the deeper layers of the skin, often occurs in older people.
It causes redness, swelling, wound heat, and sores. Areas of oozing discharge may develop, too. Cellulitis occurs most often in the lower legs and feet, and it is more likely to develop into a serious blood infection than other types of staph skin infections.
Day said that as people age and produce less collagen in their skin, the skin thins, leaving it more vulnerable to deep tissue infections. And patients with certain preexisting conditions are at higher risk. Antibiotics are the primary treatment for staph skin infections. If it is a boil, your doctor may need to make an incision to drain the fluid.
If you are a carrier you do not have symptoms that you can see, but you still have MRSA bacteria living in your nose or on your skin. If you are a carrier, your doctor may say that you are colonized. Many people with active infections are treated effectively, and no longer have MRSA.
However, sometimes MRSA goes away after treatment and comes back several times. If MRSA infections keep coming back again and again, your doctor can help you figure out the reasons you keep getting them. If you have ever had an active MRSA infection or you are a carrier, you should tell your health care providers.
They will wash their hands and wear gloves when caring for you. They may also wear a gown over their clothes and may wear a mask. This card alerts staff to use extra care to prevent the spread of MRSA. Your visitors may be instructed to avoid touching infected skin and to take other precautions such as wearing gloves or gowns when visiting you.
Is there a test for MRSA? You would not usually be tested for MRSA unless you have an active infection. If you have a skin infection, your doctor may take a sample of the area to find out what bacteria is causing your infection. This is called taking a culture. The lab will then test the bacteria to find out which antibiotic is best for you. If your MRSA infections keep coming back again and again, your doctor may test you and your family members to see if you are carriers.
In this case, the doctor would take a culture from the nose or other areas where MRSA can be found. MRSA should always be treated by a doctor. It is important to follow the instructions for treatment that your doctor gives you. If you have an active MRSA infection, your doctor may choose one or more of the following treatments: Give antibiotics Drain the infection Reduce the amount of staph on your skin and in your nose 1. Give antibiotics MRSA is resistant to many antibiotics so it can be difficult to treat.
After the infection is drained, you must keep it covered with a clean, dry bandage, until it heals 3. Reduce the amount of staph on your skin or in your nose This may prevent the spread of MRSA if you have an active infection or if you are a carrier.
0コメント