What Causes Mercer Disease?

Mercer disease is also known by the name of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). A staph infection is antibiotic resistant. It is a very serious infection that can be life threatening. Failure to treat it will usually lead to further complications. There are a number of treatments that can be effective from both the traditional and alternative medical fields. The most important thing to understand about Mercer, though, is that the common antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporins don’t work.

Mercer is caused by a bacterial infection in the body. Most often, the infection begins in the skin, which is how the disease gains entrance into the body.

The infection can live on the skin or other contaminated surface for up to a week. It is opportunistic and will enter the body if it is exposed to a break in the skin such as a scrape, scratch or cut. Only when it colonizes your body do the visible skin reactions show up.

Typical methods of transmission are similar to transmission methods for most types of infections. Contact with another infected individual or someone that has come into contract with an infected individual can cause you to contract Mercer.

The bacteria generally will reside on your skin or in your nose. It will live in the mucous of your nasal passages. In most cases, the skin or mucous membranes are effective barriers to contracting Mercer.

If you have a break in the skin or your mucous membrane has been damaged, this will allow Mercer to gain access into your body and bloodstream. Once it is inside you, it can infect any organ. People with immune compromised systems run an especially high risk of catching it.

Safety Precautions

By knowing what causes Mercer disease, you can avoid giving Mercer a chance to infect you by using simple safety precautions.

• Always wash your hands, and repeat any time you have been in contact with someone who has Mercer or if you have been exposed to something an infected person has touched. A safe rule of thumb is that you can never wash your hands enough times. It needs to become a habit.
• Blow your nose often as this will help clear any chances of Mercer bacteria residing in your nose.
• Avoid locations that run a high risk of containing contaminated surfaces.
• Visiting or working in a health care facility is known to increase your risk of being exposed; so, be extra cautious in these circumstances.
• Using a good antibacterial wash on your body is a good habit to develop; it will cleanse any surface that Mercer may inhabit.
• Keep an eye out for any skin developments that might be symptoms. If there is ever any question as to being exposed or having symptoms, ask your doctor to test you for MRSA or Mercer disease.

This strain of bacteria is relatively new on the medical scene. The first case was reported in 1968. The problem of exposure and the bacterium's effects is compounded because Mercer can change rapidly due to its adaptability. It can develop new resistance to other drugs by migrating through the population. Every drug that it is exposed to allows it to mutate and develop a resistance to a new drug.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Mercer are common to many other diseases but the difference with Mercer is that they don’t go away or get any better with common treatments. The most common symptom is a skin rash. Specifically, you may see small red bumps on the skin, boils, abscesses, sty, carbuncle and impetigo. Each of these may be a sign that you have Mercer disease and if the symptoms don’t clear up normally, you should consult a doctor for his diagnosis.

If left untreated MRSA can spread to other organs of the body. If this happens, more severe symptoms may develop. Symptoms include fever, chills, low blood pressure, joint pain, severe headaches and shortness of breath. Mercer that spreads to other internal organs may become life threatening. Some forms of Mercer have been known to infect the skin causing sores and possible necrosis. Seek medical advice immediately.