New MDR Staph Infection Spreading in Gay Communities

We've all heard about MRSA, the drug-resistant staph infection that's been found around the U.S., most often in young school athletes, but now there's an even more dangerous spinoff that's been appearing.

As a recent article details, health officials in the U.S. are tracking a new version of the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that is even more drug resistant than MRSA. The new strain, which is called multiple drug resistant staph (MDR staph), has been appearing mostly in gay and bisexual men. The cities where MDR staph has been found most often are San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, and New York.

But health officials are worried that because Staphylococcus aureus infections spread so easily, it will spread to the larger population rather than being limited to the gay community. As the story notes, MDR staph has already been found in an elderly woman in New York City.