Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. These antibiotics include methicillin and other common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin, and amoxicillin. Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems.
MRSA infections that occur in otherwise healthy people who have not been hospitalized recently (within the past year) or had a medical procedure (such as dialysis, surgery, or catheters) are known as community-associated (CA)-MRSA infections. These infections are usually skin infections, such as abscesses, boils, and other pus-filled lesions.
Fact sheets
Connecticut fact sheets
Fact sheets for corrections officers and inmates
Links below open the Department of Corrections website.
- MRSA and Correctional Health (PDF)
- Questions and Answers About MRSA for Correctional Professionals (PDF)
- Questions and Answers about MRSA for Inmates (PDF)
- Questions and Answers about MRSA for Inmates (en Español) (PDF)
- Administrative Directive 2.25 – MRSA Prevention and Management Protocols for Employees (PDF)
Materials / guidelines
Statistics
Additional sources
- MRSA Basics (CDC)
- Preventing MRSA (CDC)
- Clinical Overview of MRSA in Healthcare Settings (CDC – Healthcare Providers)
- Infection Control Guidance: Preventing MRSA Transmission (CDC – Healthcare Providers)
- MRSA and the Workplace (NIOSH) [PDF]
- Registered products effective against MRSA (EPA)
- About handwashing (CDC Clean Hands)
- Healthy habits: coughing and sneezing (CDC Hygiene)
- Information about MRSA for School Health Professionals (Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health)
For additional information, visit the CDC MRSA website.
This fact sheet is for informational purposes only. It should not be used for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation with a health care provider. If you think that you may have this infection, or have questions about the disease described above, consult your health care provider.
To contact the Epidemiology and Emerging Infections Program, please call 860-509-7994.
Last updated 2/6/2026