Mercer County hospitals have reported recent cases of the so-called “superbug” MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant staph infection, and are taking steps to prevent it from spreading.

MRSA, which stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is most frequently transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and appears as a skin infection, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The primary symptoms of MRSA are red sores, boils or pimple-like spots that can be filled with puss, are warm to the touch or are painful, said Stacy Kriedeman, a spokeswoman with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. She urges anyone concerned about these symptoms to go to a doctor.

MRSA is treatable; but when left untreated, it can infect the bloodstream and cause other infections, she said. It can be fatal in extreme cases. Two children in Virginia and New York have died from MRSA, so prevention is key.

UPMC Horizon reported treating 17 patients with MRSA, said Erin Palko, public relations manager.

Of those 17, which include patients at Horizon’s Farrell and Greenville hospitals, one of them contracted the infection while in the hospital, but it is not known how that person became infected, Mrs. Palko said.

The 16 other patients came to the hospital seeking treatment for MRSA. Of those 16, four are in isolation because they have had MRSA in the past, she said.

“Although UPMC Horizon is currently treating patients who have MRSA, it is important to note that a hospital’s number of MRSA cases does not reflect on the quality of the hospital, since the majority of patients with the infection already have it when they enter the hospital,” Mrs. Palko said.

Isolating MRSA patients is one of the methods Horizon uses to prevent spreading the infection, which is usually treated with antibiotics. Hand-washing is the most effective practice for the prevention or spread of any infection, she said.

When MRSA patients are discharged from Horizon, their room and all furniture, curtains and other items are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, Mrs. Palko said.

Dr. Larry Baling, an internal medicine physician and chief medical officer at Sharon Regional Health System, said there are no cases of MRSA that developed within the hospital, but they have treated several patients with MRSA through the emergency department.

Sharon Regional has taken a proactive approach to preventing infections in the hospital, including participating in a program of protocols and practices to control and prevent MRSA infections, he said.

“We are screening all admissions to our critical care units to identify persons who may carry MRSA and taking the appropriate steps to prevent the spread of the MRSA organism,” Baling said.

Jim McNeil, director of sports medicine services at Sharon Regional, and his staff have been working with coaches and athletes in the Sharon, Hermitage and Mercer school districts, which contract with the hospital for sports medicine, on MRSA prevention techniques, Baling said.

Ms. Kriedeman said people who share close quarters like locker rooms, schools, military units and prisons should take extra precautions to prevent spreading MRSA, such as cleaning common areas with strong disinfectant and washing hands more often.