Symptoms:

Staph skin infections cause a red, swollen, and painful area on the skin. There may be drainage of pus or other fluids from the site. Symptoms are more likely to occur where the skin has been cut or rubbed, or in areas where there is more body hair.

When patients get MRSA in health care facilities, the infections tend to be severe. These staph infections may be in the bloodstream, heart or lungs, urine, or at the site of a recent surgery. Symptoms of these severe infections include:

• Chest pain
• Chills
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Fever
• General ill feeling (malaise)
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Rash
• Shortness of breath

Signs and tests:

Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may recommend the following tests to detect and confirm the bacteria causing the infection:

• Blood culture
• Culture from the infected site
• Gram stain and culture of the drainage (fluid) from the infection
• Sputum culture
• Urine culture