Ivy Tech CNA Program Exam 1 Practice

MRSA spreads through two main pathways: direct contact and indirect contact. Direct contact means touching an infected wound, skin infection, or colonized skin and then transferring bacteria to another person or to oneself. Indirect contact happens when MRSA is picked up from a contaminated surface or object—like bed rails, stethoscopes, towels, or shared equipment—and then touches the face, an opening in the skin, or another person. In health care settings, both routes are common because patients are frequently in close contact with health care workers and shared surfaces or equipment can become contaminated. Therefore, addressing both hand hygiene to prevent direct transfer and rigorous cleaning and disinfection to remove bacteria from surfaces and objects is essential to stop transmission. Airborne spread is not the typical route for MRSA, so relying on airborne precautions alone would miss the main ways it moves between people.