Antibiotics Increase Chance of Catching MRSA

March 19, 2013 | Crandall & Pera Law
Antibiotics Increase Chance of Catching MRSA

Summer will not just bring longer days and warmer weather but also an increased chance of catching a potentially fatal drug-resistant bacteria, according to a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Methycillin-resistant staphylococcus auereus, MRSA for short, are best known for causing skin infections but can also get into your body and cause pneumonia or potentially fatal bloodstream infections, responsible for 10,000 to 20,000 deaths per year.

Community-associated MRSA that peak in the summer in fitness centers, schools, and other public places that force close contact with other people can be more harmful than MRSA strains you might contract in hospitals and affect children the most.

The study's authors propose the following precautions as a first line of defense:


  • Avoid unnecessary antibiotics in the winter - Doctors hand out antibiotics for a whole slew of unresponsive respiratory infections during the winter. When the antibiotic pressure is removed in the summertime, infections are able to spread due to the effect on resistance.

  • Wash your hands frequently.

  • Shower before and after visiting pools, hot tubs, and saunas.

  • Keep any open wounds covered.

  • Shower after going to the gym or participating in a sporting event, and wash your workout clothes after each visit to the gym.


MRSA infections and other antibiotic resistant infections are widespread in the hospital and nursing home population. These infections can lead to devastating results including amputation, sepsis, medical malpractice and wrongful death.

If you or a family member believe you have a medical malpractice case, contact Crandall & Pera Law today for a free case evaluation.