Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a strain of Staphylococcus aureus known to be resistant to most antibiotic medications including penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems, and an infection can be impossible to treat and pose a serious risk to life.

Symptoms

 * Non-healing wounds and persistent infections (including abscesses) despite antibiotic treatment.

Diagnosis
MRSA can be diagnosed through a culture and sensitivity testing of a swab from the site of infection.

Causes
Rabbits are generally infected by human carriers or in veterinary environments where the bacteria can multiple and infect open wounds and sites (e.g. surgical sites, catheter insertion sites, drain sites). Studies show about 2% of the human population are carriers of MRSA in the nose.

Rabbits with a weakened immune system are more susceptible to acquiring a hospital-acquired infection.