Is MRSA contagious?

According to Healthline, MRSA is contagious and potentially causes serious infections. It is spread by coming into contact with an infected person or surfaces touched by an infected person as it thrives in human noses and on human skin.

Mayo Clinic says MRSA stands for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is the type of staph bacteria most resistant to commonly used antibiotics. It occurs most commonly in populations where skin-to-skin contact is common,such as high school wrestling teams or child caregivers, or in hospitals, where it is known as health care-associated MRSA or HA-MRSA. Web MD says that MRSA is carried by up to 2 percent of the population at any given time.