Understanding MRSA Transmission Between Humans and Pets

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a highly contagious bacterium that can spread between humans and pets. The fellow will study and characterize the bacteria found in pets and their humans in households in which a person has a MRSA skin infection. She will then determine how stable these bacteria populations are over time and whether antibiotic-resistant genes are transmitted among household members and their pets. Results may affect veterinary treatments in the future. This Fellowship Training Grant will allow the researcher to establish herself in the field, undergo training in new techniques and generate preliminary data for further research. Her long-term goal is to focus on microbiological-centered research in human and animal health fields.