Resolved question:
I saw my grandmother in the hospital this past Sunday and kissed her forehead and cheek hello and good bye... she also touched my hands..
Today we found out she has Colonized MRSA so I was concerned what the risk is that I may now have the MRSA and if it is possible I could have picked it up from her Sunday and infected my children with it?
I believe they swabbed her nose and confirmed the MRSA with that test.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Infectious Disease Specialist
Hello,
Thank you for choosing DoctorSpring.
I understand your concern and will try my best to help you here.
Allow me to explain. MRSA is a kind of Staphylococci bacteria which are resistant to many antibiotics. Excluding this fact - (the antibiotic resistance ) the MRSA is similar to normal Staphylococci bacteria.
Normal Staphylococci are found in plenty in our environment. You will be coming in contact with them many times a day. Sometimes they are found in the skin and nasal surface. Yet you do not get an infection of Staphylococcal bacteria just like that. This is because your body has an inbuilt efficient immune and protective system.
This applied to the MRSA bacteria also. Just coming in contact with it will not put you in additional risk. But if you have other risk factors like depressed immunity, HIV, Diabetes, wound, fracture etc you may have an added risk. ( I assume you a healthy individual )
So the bottom-line is that, there is no added risk and there is no need worry.
Hope this helps
Feel free to ask followups / clarifications.
Thank you
So I understand that the contact I had with my grandmother causes me little chance of getting MRSA BUT could I be a carrier now of it and if so what precautions should I make around my children?
It is highly unlikely that you will be a MRSA carrier. To be a true carrier the MRSA has to colonise on you. This is unlikely since you are healthy and immunocompetent. But yes, its is possible that you might physically carry MRSA for a brief period. What I would recommend is thorough hand wash , followed by an alcohol containing hand sanitiser. . The hands should be cleaned immediately after touching the skin or any item that has come in direct contact with a draining wound.
Before handling the children (once you are back from the hospital) you can take a bath preferably.
Avoid carrying stuff (utensils, bags, clothes) from hospital to home and vice versa .
These measure should be enough.
Hope this helps
Feel free to ask followups