On this page: Background | Educational Resources | Setting-Specific Resources | Patient Resources | Data & Reporting
Background
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of Staphylococcus (staph) bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics called beta-lactams. Most commonly used antibiotics include methicillin, penicillin, and amoxicillin. You can carry MRSA on your skin or in your nose and not even know it. Sometimes, it can cause infections in wounds or other areas of your body. Most MRSA infections are skin infections - they look like red boils or pimples. But if you're in the hospital or a healthcare facility, you're more likely to get a serious MRSA infection. These can cause fever and pain in bladder, lungs, or other areas.
Things that can make a patient more likely to get an infection from MRSA, VISA, or VRSA can vary. Generally, these risk factors include:
- Having other health problems
- Having a weak immune system
- Long hospital stay
- Using devices like ventilators or catheters
- Recent surgery
- Using antibiotics often
Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus(VISA) and Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Like MRSA, vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) are types of staph bacteria that are resistant (or have intermediate resistance) to certain antibiotics. Because of their resistance to antibiotics, VISA/VRSA infections can be more difficult to treat. VISA/VRSA infections may affect the skin or may get into the bloodstream, causing a more serious type of infection.
Things that can make a patient more likely to get an infection from MRSA, VISA, or VRSA can vary. Generally, these risk factors include:
- Having other health problems
- Having a weak immune system
- Long hospital stay
- Using devices like ventilators or catheters
- Recent surgery
- Using antibiotics often
Educational Resources
VDH Infection Prevention and Control Assessments: The HAI/AR team is available to conduct a no-cost, non-regulatory, onsite visit to help a facility identify its infection prevention strengths and areas of opportunity.
General Resources
- Isolation Precautions Guidelines<
- Management of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Healthcare Settings (2006).
- Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Infections in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Patients: Staphylococcus aureus (Note: Not specific to MRSA or VISA/VRSA)
- Project Firstline - CDC’s Project Firstline provides innovative and accessible infection control education for all frontline healthcare.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- Clinical Overview of MRSA in Healthcare Settings
- Fact Sheets and Posters
- Infection Control Guidance – Preventing MRSA in Healthcare Settings
- STRIVE Infection Control Training – MRSA Bacteremia
Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA)
- About Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus – signs and symptoms, how it spreads, prevention, testing treatment
- Investigation and Control of VRSA: 2015 Update
Environmental Protection Agency
Virginia Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Group
- Virginia Infection Prevention and Control Training Alliance (VIPTA) - search the education and training resource library for resources related to MRSA or VISA/VRSA
VCU Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center
- Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center (VIPTC) - courses and trainings related to infection prevention and control
Setting-Specific Resources
Staphylococcus aureus resources specific to hospital settings:
Acute Care Facilities
- Strategies to Prevent Hospital-onset Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infections in Acute Care Facilities (CDC)
- SHEA/IDSA/APIC Practice Recommendation: Strategies to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Transmission and Infection in Acute Care Hospitals: 2022 Update
View Hospitals homepage
Patient Resources
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- MRSA Basics webpage (CDC)
- MRSA Fact Sheet (CDC)
- MRSA Prevention webpage (CDC)
- MRSA Fact Sheet (VDH)
Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA)
- VISA/VRSA Webpage (CDC)
Data & Reporting
- According to CDC’s 2019 Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report, MRSA is identified as a serious threat. In 2017, there were an estimated 323,700 cases in hospitalized patients and 10,600 deaths in the United States.
- CMS Care Compare – a searchable database of Medicare-certified facilities including acute care hospitals. Allows users to compare facilities on a variety of quality measures including MRSA blood infections and other facility characteristics.
National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)
- Resources related to reporting MRSA events to NHSN are available on the CDC website, including protocols, data collection forms, and analysis resources.
- Acute care hospital MRSA bacteremia data can be accessed on the VDH HAI/AR Program Data website.
Virginia Communicable Disease & Outbreak Reporting Requirements
State regulatory code aligns Virginia’s healthcare-associated infection reporting requirements with those required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Acute care hospitals report MRSA bacteremia laboratory-identified (LabID) events to VDH via CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).
- Per the Regulations for Disease Reporting and Control, the following is reportable:
- By facilities or programs licensed or operated by any agency of the Commonwealth, schools, child-care centers, and summer camps: Any suspected or confirmed outbreak.
- Suspected Outbreak Reporting Portal
- For more information: Disease Reporting and Control Regulations page.