Staph Infections

A serious staph infection may be more likely for some people than others. For example, the risk goes up as you age. People with a weakened immune system are at higher risk. And skin diseases may raise the risk of staph infections.

Some health conditions, treatments and medical devices raise the risk of a serious staph infection, including:

• Diabetes.
• HIV infection.
• Kidney failure, also called end-stage renal disease.
• Treatment with chemotherapy.
• Medical devices inside the body, such as an artificial joint, or that travel from outside to inside the body, such as a catheter.
• Use of dialysis.
• Treatment with systemic steroids.

Higher risk of staph infection also may be linked to broken skin, including:

• Chronic skin disease.
• Burns.
• Minor or serious skin damage, trauma or wounds.
• Surgical procedures.
• Injections.
• Acupuncture.

Some staph bacteria can’t be killed by standard antibiotics. One example is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, also called MRSA. People in the hospital are at risk of MRSA infection. But it also can affect people in the general public.

People at high risk of MRSA that spreads in the community include:

• People who live in crowded conditions. This could include people in college dorms, nursing homes, military facilities or correctional facilities. It also can include people living in shelters.
• People with a high chance of skin damage. This could include people who use injected illicit drugs and people managing chronic skin disorders.
• People who have a weakened immune system. This may include children younger than age 2, people over age 65, and people with HIV infection.
• People who work with or handle animals. People who work with farm animals have a higher risk of getting some strains of MRSA. This includes vets, people who work on or around farms, and meat-processing workers.
• Some population groups. Some groups of people have higher rates of MRSA infection. This includes Native American and Alaska Native people, and African Americans.
• Regular skin-to-skin contact. Athletes in some contact sports, such as football or wrestling, are at higher risk.

Contact sports

The risk of a staph infection may be higher if you’re involved in contact sports, including wrestling or mixed martial arts. Staph bacteria can spread easily through cuts, scrapes and skin-to-skin contact. Staph infections also may happen if people share items such as lotions, razors, towels, uniforms or equipment.

Food contaminated with staph bacteria

Food handlers may have staph bacteria on their hands or in their nose but don’t get sick. If they don’t wash their hands, the bacteria can get into the food being prepared.

Food that isn’t cooked before you eat it, such as potato salad, has a higher risk of causing food poisoning than food cooked to order.

Following the guidelines for safe food handling helps control bacteria growth in food. But once a food has toxins in it, cooling it or heating it to the right temperature doesn’t get rid of the toxins.