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What Is MSSA?

Medically reviewed by Kashif J. Piracha, MD

MSSA is an infection caused by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The bacteria live on the skin and inside the noses of some people, usually without causing harm. But when the bacteria enter the body through cuts, scrapes, or other open wounds on the skin, an infection can develop. Commonly known as a staph infection, skin infected by MSSA may become red, swollen, and warm. If the bacteria enter the bloodstream, any part of the body can become infected, including bones and vital organs.

There are two types of staph aureus infections: MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and MSSA. MRSA refers to infections caused by strains of the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that are resistant to certain antibiotics and difficult to treat. MSSA, on the other hand, is more easily treatable with antibiotics.

This article covers what you should know about MSSA, including types of infections, their symptoms and causes, and how to treat and prevent MSSA infections.

Types of MSSA Infections

MSSA can cause infections in many parts of your body, including:

Skin infection: Bacteria can enter the body through a cut, scrape, or other open wound on the skin, leading to an infection that affects the surface or deeper layers of the skin.

Bone infection: A bone infection, known as osteomyelitis, occurs when bacteria reach the bones through the bloodstream or nearby infected tissue.

Heart infection: Infection of the heart (endocarditis) occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream and attach to the inner lining and valves of the heart

Pneumonia: When MSSA bacteria enter the lungs, pneumonia can develop.

Food poisoning: Eating food contaminated with MSSA can lead to food poisoning, usually within a few hours after consumption.

Mastitis: Bacteria can enter the breasts through cracked or injured nipples, causing mastitis in chestfeeding parents.

MSSA Symptoms

MSSA can cause many symptoms, depending on where the infection develops. Symptoms vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe.

Skin Infection Symptoms

Skin infections are the most common type of MMSA infection and can cause symptoms such as:

Zay Nyi Nyi / Getty Images

Bone Infection (Osteomyelitis) Symptoms

When MSSA infects the bones, it is called osteomyelitis. Symptoms may include:

Bone pain or pain at the site of infection

Swelling, redness, and warmth in the affected area

Fever

Excessive sweating

Fever

Malaise (general discomfort)

Heart Infection (Endocarditis) Symptoms

MSSA-related endocarditis occurs when bacteria infect the inner lining of the heart or heart valves, causing symptoms such as:

Fever and chills

Fatigue and weakness

Muscle and joint pain

Cough

Night sweats

Broken blood vessels on the skin

Rapid or irregular heartbeat

Shortness of breath

Pneumonia Symptoms

When MSSA infects the lungs (pneumonia), it can lead to symptoms such as:

High fever

Chills

Chest pain

Shortness of breath

Persistent cough

Food Poisoning Symptoms

Eating food contaminated with MSSA can cause food poisoning. Symptoms develop within 30 minutes to 8 hours after eating contaminated items and may include:

Nausea

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Abdominal cramping

Mastitis Symptoms

Chestfeeding parents with mastitis may experience the following symptoms:

Breast pain, redness, and swelling

Warmth and tenderness in the affected breast

Fever and chills

What Causes MSSA?

About 1 in 3 people have Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria on their skin or inside their nasal passages. The bacteria can spread to others through skin-to-skin contact (e.G., shaking hands) or by touching objects contaminated with staph, such as door handles, towels, clothing, bed linens, and athletic equipment. Improper preparation and handling of foods by a person with staph can also spread the bacteria.

Most of the time, the bacteria don't cause problems. But if the bacteria enters the body through an open wound on the skin, an MSSA infection can develop. While skin infections are the most common type of MSSA infection, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream, causing severe illness.

Risk Factors

MSSA can affect people of all ages. Certain risk factors can increase your chances of developing an infection:

Open wounds, burns, or sores on the skin

Chronic health conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, eczema, and lung diseases

A weakened immune system due to chemotherapy, HIV, or taking medicines that suppress the immune system (e.G., corticosteroids)

Hospital stays or having surgery

Injecting illicit drugs

Participating in contact sports (e.G., wrestling)

Sharing personal items, such as towels, razors, athletic equipment, or clothing

Unhygienic food preparation practices (e.G., not washing hands)

Having a medical device, such as a pacemaker, artificial heart valves, or artificial joints 

Diagnosis

To diagnose MSSA, your healthcare provider will begin by reviewing your medical history and asking about your symptoms. They will examine your skin to check for classic signs of infection, including redness, swelling, and a pus-filled bump on the skin.

A skin culture test can help identify the type of bacteria causing the infection and confirm the diagnosis. For this test, your healthcare provider will swab the affected area or take a sample of fluid (pus) from the bump or boil and send the sample to the lab for analysis.

If your healthcare provider suspects you have MSSA in a different part of your body, they may order additional diagnostic tests, such as:

Blood culture: A blood sample is sent to the lab to confirm the presence of MSSA in the bloodstream. This test can also help determine which antibiotic will most effectively clear the infection.

Imaging scans: X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs help visualize tissues and structures inside the body and assess whether the infection has reached the bones or organs.

Bone biopsy: If the infection has reached your bones, a small sample (biopsy) of bone tissue may be removed to confirm MSSA infection and help guide treatment decisions.

Stool sample: In cases of food poisoning, you may need to provide a stool sample, which is sent to the laboratory to confirm MSSA is causing your symptoms.

Treatments for MSSA

MSSA treatments eliminate or stop the growth of MSSA bacteria to cure the infection and prevent complications. Treatment options for MSSA vary, depending on the location and severity of the infection.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are the first-line treatment for MSSA. These medicines help kill the bacteria or prevent them from growing and spreading. Diagnostic test results and other factors can be used to determine which antibiotic most effectively treats the infection.

MSSA skin infections may be treated with topical antibiotic ointment applied to the affected area or oral antibiotic therapy. MSSA infections that have spread beyond the skin and into the bloodstream may require oral (taken by mouth) or intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Antibiotics commonly prescribed to treat MSSA include:

Dicloxacillin

Erythromycin

Nafcillin

Clindamycin

Follow your healthcare provider's guidance and complete the entire course of antibiotics, even if you start to feel better before you've finished your prescription. This helps ensure treatment is effective and prevents repeated infections.

Related: When Would You Need Antibiotics?

Incision & Drainage

For skin infections that have reached deeper layers of the skin, healthcare providers may make a small incision on the wound or affected area to drain fluid and remove infected tissue. You will still require antibiotics to ensure the infection clears.

Surgery

Bone infections may require surgery to clear the infection and remove dead bone in the affected area. In some cases, removing medical devices (e.G., artificial heart valves) may be required to treat the infection and prevent recurrences.

Prevention

Preventative measures can lower your risk of a staph infection or prevent spreading it to others. To prevent MSSA, you can:

Practice good hygiene, including regular handwashing with soap and water

Clean cuts, scrapes, and wounds on the skin and cover with bandages

Avoid sharing towels, bedding, clothing, and athletic equipment with someone with a staph infection

Do not prepare or touch food for others if you have a staph infection

Complications

If left untreated, MSSA infections can cause serious illness and become life-threatening. See a healthcare provider if you suspect you or a loved one have an MSSA infection. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can help lower your risk of complications. 

Possible complications of MSSA include: 

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS): A rare but serious infection that can develop suddenly when MSSA enters the bloodstream and produces toxins. Though commonly associated with tampon use, TSS can occur due to burns, skin infections, or after surgery, affecting people of all genders and ages.

Sepsis: MSSA bacteria entering the bloodstream can lead to sepsis—a life-threatening condition caused by the body's extreme reaction to an infection.

A Quick Review

MSSA, or methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, is a bacterial infection that develops when bacteria enter the body through a cut or wound on the skin. MSSA commonly causes skin infections but can infect the bones, heart, lungs, and other body parts if it enters the bloodstream.

Antibiotics effectively treat most MSSA infections and may be applied topically to treat skin infections. Oral or intravenous (IV) antibiotics are prescribed to treat MSSA infections that affect internal organs or bones. Regular handwashing, covering skin wounds, and avoiding sharing personal items (e.G., towels, razors) can help prevent MSSA.

MSSA is treatable, and most people recover with appropriate treatment. Talk to a healthcare provider if you suspect you have an MSSA infection. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent complications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to quarantine if I have MSSA?

Generally, having MSSA does not require you to quarantine. However, MSSA is highly contagious and can spread easily through direct contact with an infected person or by sharing personal items, such as towels or bed linens. Wash your hands regularly and cover the affected area to prevent spreading it to others. 

Can an MSSA infection come back?

Yes, MSSA infections can come back, especially if the initial infection wasn't treated effectively or if you're exposed to the bacteria again. Finishing your course of antibiotics, regular handwashing, and covering wounds on your skin can lower the risk of repeat infections.

What is the difference between MSSA and MRSA?

MSSA (methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus) and MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) are strains of the same bacteria. The key difference is that MSSA can be treated with certain antibiotics, while MRSA is resistant to many antibiotics, making it harder to treat.

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Common Wristbands 'hotbed' For Harmful Bacteria Including E. Coli, Staphylococcus

The COVID-19 pandemic took disinfecting to new heights. Now, a new study examining a commonly used item might convince you not to let your guard down just yet.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science tested wristbands of various textures to determine their risk for harboring potentially harmful pathogenic bacteria. Despite being worn daily, routine cleaning of wristbands is generally overlooked or simply ignored.

For the study, researchers tested plastic, rubber, cloth, leather and metal (gold and silver) wristbands to see if there is a correlation between wristband material and the prevalence of bacteria. They investigated the hygienic state of these various types of wristbands worn by active individuals and identified the best protocols to properly disinfect them.

Using standard microbiological assays, researchers looked at bacterial counts, type of bacteria and their distribution on the wristband surfaces. They also conducted a bacteria susceptibility assay study screening the effectiveness of three different disinfectant solutions: Lysol™ Disinfectant Spray; 70 percent ethanol, commonly used in hospitals and alcohol wipes; and a more natural solution, apple cider vinegar.

Results of the study, published in the journal Advances in Infectious Diseases, suggest you may want to "go for the gold" or silver the next time you purchase a wristband. Nearly all wristbands (95 percent) were contaminated. However, rubber and plastic wristbands had higher bacterial counts, while metal ones, especially gold and silver, had little to no bacteria.

"Plastic and rubber wristbands may provide a more appropriate environment for bacterial growth as porous and static surfaces tend to attract and be colonized by bacteria," said Nwadiuto Esiobu, Ph.D., senior author and a professor of biological sciences in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.

The most important predictor of wristband bacteria load was the texture of wristband material and activity (hygiene) of the subject at sampling time. There were no significant differences between males and females in the occurrence or distribution of the bacteria groups.

Bacteria found in the study were common skin residents of the genera Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas, and intestinal organisms of the genera Escherichia, specifically E. Coli. Staphylococcus spp was prevalent on 85 percent of the wristbands; researchers found Pseudomonas spp on 30 percent of the wristbands; and they found E. Coli bacteria on 60 percent of the wristbands, which most commonly begins infection through fecal-oral transmission.

The gym-goer showed the highest staphylococcal counts, which emphasizes the necessity of sanitizing wristbands after engaging in rigorous activity at the gym or at home.

Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria found on human skin, in the nose, armpit, groin or other areas that cause a wide variety of clinical diseases. Pseudomonas spp., commonly in the environment, can cause infections in the blood, lungs (pneumonia) or other parts of the body after surgery. Enterobacteria are a large family of bacteria including many of the more familiar pathogens such as E. Coli and Salmonella.

"The quantity and taxonomy of bacteria we found on the wristbands show that there is a need for regular sanitation of these surfaces," said Esiobu. "Even at relatively low numbers these pathogens are of public health significance. Importantly, the ability of many of these bacteria to significantly affect the health of immunocompromised hosts indicates a special need for health care workers and others in hospital environments to regularly sanitize these surfaces."

Findings from the study showed that Lysol™ Disinfectant Spray and 70 percent ethanol were highly effective regardless of the wristband material with 99.99 percent kill rate within 30 seconds. Apple cider vinegar was not as potent and required a full two-minute exposure to reduce bacterial counts. While these common household disinfectants all proved at least somewhat effective on all materials (rubber, plastic, cloth and metal), antibacterial efficacy was significantly increased at two minutes compared to thirty seconds.

Different disinfectants, depending on their active ingredients, kill bacteria in different ways, such as by disrupting cell membrane integrity, altering or removing proteins or interfering with metabolic activities.

"Other potential forms of bacterial transmission and facilitation of infection, such as earbuds or cell phones, should be similarly studied," said Esiobu.

Study co-authors are Joseph Mendonca; Belen Wertheimer; Daynalee Dixon; Bodhi Stone; and Karim Dawkins, FAU undergraduate and graduate students within the Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science; and Miranda Christian, a former reporter in West Palm Beach.

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