MRSA Tests

A MRSA test looks for MRSA bacteria in a sample of fluid or tissue from your body. The sample is often taken from your nose or a wound. MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

It is a type of staph bacteria. Many people have MRSA or other staph bacteria living on their skin or in their noses. These bacteria usually don't cause any harm.

Having the bacteria without an infection is sometimes called 'carrying' or being 'colonized' with the bacteria. But even when you don't have an infection, you could still spread the bacteria to others. But staph bacteria that enters your body through a cut, scrape, or other open wound, often causes a skin infection.

Most staph skin infections are minor. They usually heal on their own or after treatment with antibiotics. But if you are carrying the MRSA bacteria on your skin and it enters through an open wound, the usual treatments may not work well.

MRSA bacteria are different than other staph bacteria. In a normal staph infection, antibiotics will kill the bacteria and stop them from growing. In a MRSA infection, the antibiotics usually used to treat staph infections don't work.

The bacteria are not killed, and they continue to grow. When common antibiotics don't work on bacterial infections, it's known as antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance makes it difficult to treat certain bacterial infections.

In the past, MRSA infections mostly happened in hospitals or nursing homes, putting people with weaker immune systems at risk. This is called hospital-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA). But now, MRSA is becoming more common in healthy people.

This is known as community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA). In both cases, it's the same MRSA bacteria, but how you treat it and reduce its spread may be different. Anyone can get MRSA.

You could have MRSA and not have any signs or symptoms. MRSA is not spread through the air like a cold or flu virus, but it can live on surfaces for a long time. There are several different ways that MRSA can spread: Through contact with objects that are contaminated with the bacteria, such as sports or medical equipment.; By sharing personal items that are contaminated with the bacteria, such as a towel, bedding, or a razor.; Through close, personal contact with someone who has an infected wound.

This is more likely to happen when large groups of people are close together, such as in a college dorm, locker room, prison, health care setting, or military barracks.; By sharing contaminated needles, which can happen when people are using injectable drugs.; If it's not treated, a MRSA infection may become more serious. If the bacteria spreads to your bloodstream, it can be dangerous, and you need to get quick medical treatment. Untreated MRSA can also spread to other people.

Why this test is done

You may need this test if you have symptoms of a MRSA infection. Your symptoms will depend on where the infection is located.

A MRSA infection on the skin may look like a type of rash. A MRSA rash looks like red, swollen bumps on the skin. The bumps may be filled with fluid or pus.

Some people may mistake a MRSA rash for a spider bite. However, unless you actually see the spider, the bumps are probably not from a spider bite. With MRSA, the infected area may also be:

• Warm to the touch
• Painful

Symptoms of a MRSA infection in the bloodstream or other parts of the body include:

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• MRSA rash

How to prepare

You don't need any special preparations for a MRSA test.

Sample type

Blood Urine Swab

Other names for this test

MRSA screening, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus screening, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus culture