It's also important to have yourself screened if you think you may have a MRSA infection. Stopping the infection before it spreads too deeply greatly increases your chances of avoiding a life-threatening situation.

Clean hands: Simply washing your hands helps, too. Throughout the day we touch all manner of things other people have touched: ATMs, doorknobs, flush handles on toilets. It's a good idea to wash your hands as often as possible. The Mayo Clinic also recommends you sanitize your hands with a liquid or gel sanitizer that's at least 62 percent alcohol. This comes in handy whenever there's not a restroom nearby.

Your health-care worker: Hospitals house sick people, and health-care workers can easily spread MRSA through improper hand washing. Don't be afraid to ask your healthcare provider to wash his or her hands whenever she touches you. Be sure the workers use alcohol-based disinfectants and soap.

Treatment devices: You can also get a leg up on MRSA by making sure that any type of instrument the hospital uses for your treatment or care is sterile. When health-care workers use an instrument for an invasive procedure -- such as dialysis -- ask them to disinfect the area around the point of entry with alcohol.

A nice bath: If you're bedridden, you can request to be bathed with disposable cloths and disinfectant instead of reusable towels and soap and water.

MRSA can survive on surfaces and fabrics, including privacy curtains or garments worn by care providers.

Complete surface sanitation is necessary to eliminate MRSA in areas where patients are recovering from invasive procedures.

MRSA upon admission, isolating MRSA-positive patients, decolonization of MRSA-positive patients, and terminal cleaning of patients' rooms and all other clinical areas they occupy is the current best practice protocol for nosocomial MRSA.

After the drainage of boils or other treatment for MRSA, patients can shower at home using chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) or hexachlorophene (Phisohex) antiseptic soap from head to toe, and apply mupirocin (Bactroban) 2% ointment inside each nostril twice daily for 7 days, using a cotton-tipped swab. Doctors may also prescribe strong antibotics such as Clindamycin, Levofloxacin (Levaquin), and possibly Flagyl for the side effects of the Clindamycin. Household members are recommended to follow the same decolonization protocol.

To prevent the spread of Staph Infection or MRSA Infection in the workplace, employers should ensure the availability of adequate facilities and supplies that encourage workers to practice good hygiene; that surface sanitizing in the workplace is followed; and that contaminated equipment are sanitized with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectants.

Some people with MRSA might think they have a "spider bite."

Signs of a skin infection include redness, warmth, swelling, and tenderness of the skin.

Recently there have been more MRSA infections outside of hospitals or other healthcare settings. The type of MRSA that causes those infections is called community-associated MRSA, or CA-MRSA. CA-MRSA usually causes minor skin infections but it can cause severe infections, even in healthy people. It also requires treatment with different antibiotics, but it is much easier to treat than HA MRSA.

Who is at risk of getting MRSA? Everyone is at risk of getting MRSA. In general, the factors that make people more susceptible to MRSA infections are the 5 "Cs":   Frequent skin-to-skin contact Compromised skin (i.e., cuts or abrasions) Contaminated items and surfaces Crowding Lack of cleanliness.

Can I get MRSA at the gym? While MRSA is primarily transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, there have been reported cases of transmission from environmental surfaces or equipment. To prevent this, wash hands before and after use, use a towel or clothing as a barrier between surfaces (such as exercise equipment or sauna benches) and bare skin, and keep wounds dry and covered.

Are HIV-infected people at greater risk of getting MRSA? There is some evidence that people with weakened immune systems, including those with HIV infection, might be at higher risk of getting MRSA. Plus, when people with weakened immune systems do get MRSA infections, the infections tend to be more serious. Click here for more information.

Is MRSA a sexually transmitted disease (STD)? Data do not exist to determine whether sex itself - anal, oral, or vaginal intercourse - spreads MRSA. But we do know that skin-to-skin contact, which occurs during sex, can spread MRSA.  Therefore, wearing a condom is unlikely to prevent infection.

How do I protect myself from getting and spreading MRSA? Practice good hygiene:   Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If soap is not available, use hand sanitizer instead. Showering or washing after contact sports, gym use, or sex may reduce the risk of skin-to-skin transmission. Keep wounds covered with clean, dry bandages. Take antibiotics only as prescribed by a healthcare provider Do not share personal items such as used towels, clothes, razors, or anything that makes contact with skin. Clean and disinfect items that are shared before and after every use (athletic/workout equipment) with disinfectant or detergent. A list of products approved by the Environmental Protection Agency that are effective against MRSA is available here. These products should be used only as directed. Use lotion to keep skin moist; damaged skin can provide an opening for infection.