I'm asking here because my ds has a rash and I was told by ex-h's gf that it is MRSA..

Just wanted to see if anyone else has any knowledge on this virus??

TIA!

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Where abouts in Ohio are you? I have heard on the news that there have been quite a few cases, the last one was in Mentor. I would for sure take him it to see a doctor just in case.

MRSA is not a virus, is a bacteria. It stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - which means it's a bacteria that is resistant to a strong antibiotic. I've heard now they also are grouping it under "multiple resistant S. aureus.)

The only way to tell if it is MRSA is to take your son to a doctor, and have the rash/wound cultured and checked. There is absolutely no way a person can look at something and determine what strain of bacteria the infection is. At all.

S. aureus is a bacteria that is commonly found on skin - you cannot get rid of it. Occasionally it becomes a problem.

If you are concerned on your child's rash, then contact your doctor. MRSA is pretty rare, I know of two people with it, and it's just that their S. aureus that lives on their skin now happens to be MRSA, so they have to be very careful with cuts etc.

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I agree, that person doesn't know what they are talking about because you can't tell just by looking at it. Go to the dr and get it cultured and go from there.

I agree you can't tell if it's MRSA just by looking at it. Unless she's part of the "PSYCHICS MEDICAL HOTLINE" (J/K) I would go and see a doctor and have it cultured also. Then they'll be able to tell you how to proceed. My MIL had MRSA in a wound on her abdomen that wouldn't heal before she died. But she was immunocompromised due to lymphoma and chemotherapy. She did keep the wound covered though and tried to prevent others from getting near the wound. Let us know what you find out!!! I'm curious.

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here is a link that explains mrsa my niece has severe allergies and often gets it since she has skin issues it does need to be taken seriously there are more and more cases every year and if untreated can be very dangerous.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) - Yahoo! Health

Do you know what the symptoms are??

Well, here is what has happened....

DS has had this rash since about August. It started out on his torso and was little red marks, like bite marks and was itchy, very itchy mostly at night. I did take him to the doctor a week after he was complaining of itching so much, he couldn't sleep at night. She said it was a cross between heat rash and insect bites..possibly from fleas since he is around animals every house he goes to (mine, my mom, their dad). She prescribed Zyrtec and calamine lotion. THe red bite-looking marks have all gone away, but he now has a rash, like poison ivy around his fingers and wrists, a little up his arms. He still itches a bit on his torso or back but not as bad. It now looks like poison ivy that is starting to go away. He still itches at night sometimes. So a week later she prescribed hydrocortisone cream. Then his dad and his gf got a rash and she went to her doc and first ex-h said the doc said it was from some sort of mite from animals other than dogs/cats. My parents have a small farm so he was blaming them for it. Then said later that dogs/cats can have this mite and people can get it. And they got it from ds, who got it from either my house or my mom's, and of course, not from his dogs. He was saying it is very contagious from people to people and that I needed to get my animals bathed, sterilize the house. So I took my dog to the vet and the vet cofirmed that my dog does not have fleas or mite infestation at all and that there is only a certain mite that she knows of that a person can get but that person cannot carry to another person, the people have to be in contact with the animal in order to get it.

Now the gf is saying that it is MRSA and very contagious. That if I get it, since I am pregnant, that it could be bad for the baby. Is that the Strep B thing they test pregnant ladies for towards the end of the pregnancy?

Allegedly, they both got it, neighbor kids at their house have this rash and one of the moms have gotten and are blaming ds for it. The mom is calling CPS because of it.

My household, except ds, and my mom's household does not have any rash of any sort.

Wouldn't he be sick or sickly? He isn't sick, just has an itchy rash. DD has gotten an itchy rash twice in August and September that looks way more like poison ivy and calamine lotion has taken care of it.

I made another appointment for them on Thursday, but when I called this morning and asked about MRSA, the nurse just kind of laughed about it and said it didn't sound like MRSA, most likely wasn't that, not to worry about it until I talked with the doctor Thursday.

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Hmmm.....could it be scabies? It's a skin infestation from a small bug that burrows under the skin. Sometimes it will leave "tracks" where it's burrowing. I'll try to find a pic online so you can see what the rash looks like. The reason I ask is because one of my girlfriend's older child had it and then everyone in the family ended up with it and they had a HORRIBLE time trying to treat it. There's a very expensive cream you put on (you'll have to treat everyone at the same time) and then you have to repeat it several times although I don't remember all the details. But it was more common to itch at night is what made me think it might be that. But again....I'd have a doctor or maybe even a dermatologist look at it and culture it. The doctor did diagnose theirs by doing skin scrapings if I'm remembering right.

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Okay...here's an article. Your symptoms do sound suspiciously like it.
Division of Parasitic Diseases - Scabies Fact Sheet

Wikipedia here has some pics
Scabies - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here's a few more pics and more info:
Scabies

And even more because I don't know when to stop
Scabies

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When I had him at the doctor, she said it didn't look like scabies. I asked about it, since I had gotten that from my friend when I was little and my sis got it too. I just remember itching like crazy at night time. But the doctor said it didn't look like it because at that time, it wasn't at any joint areas...knees, elbows.

I have an appointment on Thursday so we will find out then.

Thanks everyone for the information..

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