Staphylococcus aureus (staph) is a germ found on people’s skin. Staph can cause serious infections if it gets into the blood and can lead to sepsis or death.

Staph is either methicillin-resistant staph (MRSA) or methicillin-susceptible staph (MSSA).

Staph can spread in and between hospitals and other healthcare facilities, and in communities.

People are at higher risk for staph infection when they have surgery or stay in healthcare facilities, have medical devices in their body, inject drugs, or when they come in close contact with someone who has staph.

Additional tactics in healthcare—such as decolonization (reducing germs people may carry and spread) before surgery—along with current CDC recommendations could prevent more staph infections.