Transmission | MRSA

Transmission

MRSA is most frequently transmitted through direct contact from person to person. Since many people carry it on their skin, a simple handshake is often enough to pass the germ on to the person opposite. In hospitals as well as in homes, many people are located in a relatively limited space where frequent skin contact also occurs (between nursing staff or doctors and patients), which is why a high MRSA rate in these facilities seems logical.

Even a person who is contaminated with MRSA and shows no symptoms himself can infect another person symptomatically, which results in an additional problem. Furthermore, the germ can also adhere well to different surfaces. As a result, it can also be transmitted via liquids or contaminated objects (catheters and breathing tubes are particularly suitable here).Usually the first symptoms appear about 4 to 10 days after the infection. These are similar to those caused by the normal Staphylococcus aureus.

Infection

MRSA is primarily transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact. However, infection via fabrics, clothing, objects, surfaces or even via ventilation systems in the form of droplet infection is also possible. However, not every short-term colonization of the skin is synonymous with a permanent MRSA infestation, let alone a symptomatic infection.

Rather, the pathogen usually does not succeed in gaining a foothold on the skin or mucous membranes of healthy people because it is repelled there by the normal bacterial flora of the skin. Accordingly, MRSA is above all a problem for all people who are either immunocompromised, especially old and sick people. Or whenever the germ is offered a particularly suitable entry point.

This is classically the case during operations or hospital stays in general. During an operation, the normal protective barrier is broken through, and surgical instruments are inserted into the body. It is therefore not surprising that longer hospital stays or operations carry a certain risk of becoming infected with MRSA.

This is all the more so, the more complex the medical care is, especially intensive care patients or persons requiring dialysis are at risk. Any artificial access, be it the intravenous catheter, the breathing tube or the dialysis catheter, is a potential access route for germs. Unfortunately, MRSA adheres particularly well to plastic and stainless steel, the materials most commonly used in the hospital environment.

However, MRSA infections are also relatively widespread in people who require long-term care and thus in many nursing homes. Therefore, relatives should also pay attention to hygiene measures, such as hand disinfection, when visiting nursing homes or hospitals. As mentioned above, however, not every contact with the MRSA pathogen is synonymous with an infection.

However, frequent and close contact with infected persons increases the risk. The pathogen can also be transmitted from animal to human. Especially in agriculture, in close contact with pigs, infection is possible. If the infection or carrier status is known, one can protect oneself from transmission with gloves and/or mouth protection, depending on the location of the infection. One should also pay attention to this in private surroundings, e.g. also with relatives in need of care.