Symptoms of an MRSA infection

The symptoms of an MRSA infection will depend on what part of the body is infected.

Skin and soft tissue MRSA infections

If MRSA infects theskin, itcan result in a wound infection, Carbuncles or abscess .

If it infects the deeper layers of skin, it's known as cellulitis .

Typical symptoms are:

• redness
• swelling
• tenderness
• pain
• a discharge of pus

Some people have additional symptoms, such as a high temperature (fever) and a general feeling of being unwell.

These infections can also be caused by bacteria other than MRSA, so having the symptoms above doesn'tnecessarily mean you have MRSA.

Invasive MRSA infections

If the MRSA bacteria penetrate deeper inside your body or into your blood, they can causea more serious, invasiveinfection.

Signsof an invasive infection include:

• a high temperature of 38C (100.4F) or above
• chills
• generally feeling unwell
• dizziness
• confusion
• muscle aches and pains
• pain, swelling and tenderness in the affected body part

Examples of invasiveMRSA infections include:

• blood poisoning (sepsis) which could lead to septic shock , where your blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level
• urinary tract infection (UTI) infection of thetubes through which urine passes
• endocarditis infection of the heart valves
• pneumonia a lung infection
• septic bursitis inflammation ofa fluid-filled sac that forms under the skin (usually over a joint)
• septic arthritis a joint infection
• osteomyelitis a bone infection

Click on the links above for the specific symptoms of these infections.