MRSA

noun

ˌem-ˌär-ˌes-ˈā  ˈmər-sə 

: any of several strains of a bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus) that are resistant to methicillin and related antibiotics (such as penicillin) and typically live harmlessly on skin and mucous membranes but may cause usually mild infections of the skin or sometimes more severe infections (as of the blood, lungs, or bones) especially in hospitalized or immunocompromised individuals see ca-mrsa

Examples of MRSA in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The genetic material of several human pathogens—among them MRSA, Bartonella quintana, and hepatitis C—has also been found in bedbugs outside the laboratory. —Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024

In a laboratory study published in January, Jose Pietri, an associate entomology professor at Purdue University, and his colleagues showed that bedbugs were capable of both contracting and transmitting MRSA while feeding. —Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024

Marking key shifts Since 1990, the infection that caused the biggest increase was MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus), a type of staph bacteria that has become resistant to some antibiotics. —Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 17 Sep. 2024

Additional concerns from reusing towels are skin irritation that can cause eczema or atopic dermatitis flare-ups, fungal infections like athlete’s foot and ringworm, infectious diseases like conjunctivitis (pink eye), norovirus, staph (MRSA), and the spread of E.coli and allergens. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing MRSA

• CA-MRSA

Kids Definition

MRSA

noun

ˌem-ˌär-ˌes-ˈā,

ˈmər-sə

: any of several strains of a bacterium that are resistant to many common antibiotics and may cause usually mild infections of the skin or sometimes more severe infections (as of the blood or lungs)

Etymology

methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus

Medical Definition

MRSA

noun

ˌem-ˌär-ˌes-ˈā, ˈmər-sə 

: any of several strains of a bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus) that are resistant to methicillin and related antibiotics (such as penicillin) and often live harmlessly on skin and mucous membranes but may cause usually mild infections of the skin or sometimes more severe infections (as of the blood, lungs, or bone) especially in hospitalized or immunocompromised individuals

The rise of superbugs that can survive multiple antibiotics—such as MRSA, the notorious "flesh-eating bacterium"—has turned once-trivial infections into persistent problems.

—Valerie Ross, Discover

MRSA—methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—lives harmlessly in the noses and on the skin of millions of people, but can cause serious harm if it enters the body through a cut and reaches the bloodstream, attacking bones and tissue.

—Bob Meadows, People

But in 2002 strains of MRSA that were also resistant to vancomycin began to emerge in hospitals.

—Christopher T. Walsh et al., Scientific American

see ca-mrsa

Etymology

methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus