Antimicrobial (Drug) Resistance

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicting numerous clumps of MRSA bacteria. Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During the past four decades, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, has evolved from a controllable nuisance into a serious public health concern. MRSA is largely a hospital-acquired infection, in fact, one of the most common. Recently, however, new strains have emerged in the community that are capable of causing severe infections in otherwise healthy people.

• Overview
• History
• Transmission
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Prevention
• Research

Research Features

NIH Grantees Find Genes for Susceptibility to MRSA Bacteria in Mice

MRSA Proves a Stubborn Opponent in Labs and Locker Rooms

NIAID-Funded Researchers Discover An Additional Way that S. Aureus Evades Immune System Attacks

News and Media

NIH Research Matters: New Approach to Fighting Staph Infections—Feb. 28, 2011

NIAID Media Availability: NIH Scientists Identify Mechanism Responsible for Spreading Biofilm Infections—Dec. 6, 2010

News from NIAID-Supported Institutions