It’s a bug bite no one wants to get.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as MRSA or the “superbug,” is a type of bacteria that causes antibiotic resistant staph infections.

The “superbug” has recently become a public health concern in Omaha and could become an issue here at Creighton. Most staph infections are caused by common bacteria found on the skin that somehow makes their way into the body, usually through open cuts.

The bacteria can also be spread through skin-to-skin contact or through touching contaminated surfaces. Such infections can look similar to bug bites or razor burn but require medicated ointments or antibiotics to heal properly. MRSA staph infections won’t heal with the typical antibiotic treatment, even if they don’t necessarily look any different from normal staph infections.

Creighton graduate Holly Morris became infected with MRSA in 2006 while doing an internship in Arkansas.

“I noticed these funny bumps on my legs — and I thought I must have been bitten by some strange southern insect, so I ignored them,” Morris said.

When the bites didn’t go away, Morris saw a doctor and was prescribed a basic antibiotic. At first, neither Morris nor her doctor realized she had the antibiotic resistant type of staph. When she didn’t respond to treatment, she rushed to an emergency room and was diagnosed with MRSA.

Dr. Karin Preifert, the medical director of Student Health Services, said doctors can’t determine if a staph infection is MRSA based on appearances alone.

“We would need a culture to determine if it’s MRSA,” Preifert said, “[A patient] could have an abscess that could be due to regular staph or the antibiotic resilient type or something else completely.”

Although MRSA is something Creighton students should be aware of, a large outbreak of staph infections is unlikely to occur.

“MRSA is not something that would spread in the same fashion as norovirus,” Priefert said. “If someone had it [MRSA] and touched someone skin-to-skin, then they’d get it.”

The best way to avoid any type of staph infection is to practice good hygiene. Wash your hands frequently, take a shower everyday and avoid sharing personal items such as razors or linens. If you’re at the gym, take advantage of the sanitary wipes and automatic hand-sanitizer dispensers.

“Students should be proactive when using the equipment at the KFC,” said Eugenia Barfield, office manager at Campus Recreation. “We’ve put all those things out, but it’s really up to students to use them.”

Any suspicious looking bumps or wounds that don’t heal within a reasonable amount of time should be checked.

“I was lucky that I caught it before it spread, even though I’d been a little embarrassed to go to the doctor for what I originally thought were just bug bites,” Morris said. “Things could have been much worse.”