The following pictures shows what can happen if Staph goes untreated.

(click on each picture to enlarge)

What you can do:

• Try to avoid cuts and scrapes as much possible.  Wear gloves to protect your hands while gardening, doing repair work or tinkering in the garage.

• Thoroughly clean even superficial wounds with soap and water.  Do not use hydrogen peroxide.  Cover wounds with a clean, dry bandage.

• Wash your hands regularly and insist that any clinician examining your or a loved one do so too.  Soap disrupts many parts of the germ at once, making resistance difficult.

• Don't share towels or other linens.  Make sure that all laundry is properly washed at 120 degrees or higher (unless a low-temperature detergent is used) and dried at 180 degrees.