Staph aureus is a ubiquitous organism that colonizes the skin/nares and can cause invasive disease.

MRSA risk factors include health care exposure (hospitalization, hemodialysis), antimicrobial use, incarceration, IDU, shared equipment and others

Highly virulent organism; infection manifests as pyogenic skin and soft tissue infection, MSK infection, endocarditis, abscess, pneumonia, infection of prosthetic devices and others