Key Points:

• Staphylococcus aureus (or staph) are bacteria commonly found on the skin or in the noses of healthy people.
  
• Staph is spread from person to person on contaminated hands, skin, objects and surfaces
  
• Staph bacteria causes mostly skin infections, but can cause more serious infections, such as bone, joint, and blood infections.
  
• Some staph bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph that cannot be killed by certain commonly used antibiotics. 
  
• Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently in hospitals and healthcare facilities (HA-MRSA) in people with weakened immune systems. MRSA acquired in the community (CA-MRSA) is has been seen most often in groups of people who are in close physical contact with one another such as athletes and military trainees.