Hello Drs,

Thank you again for all your help, I was very much reassured. Unfortunately I strayed online and found some info about MRSA and giving it to your partner/family. I will not repeat this course of action but now I’m worried so hoping very much I could get some final help!

As mentioned in Q5987, my gf (now ex) was from a remote village in Thailand and I now believe to be high-risk for STDs/bloodborne due to her history. Your previous advise really reassured me, but now I’m terrified about MRSA - which could “colonise”/pass to my parents and remain there without causing any symptoms for some time.

My parents suffer from a number of medical conditions - including bronchiectasis/lung disease/brasthma, and blood clotting disorders including Von Willebrand. They also take very high levels of oral and inhaled steroids for these conditions.I understand MRSA is easily transmitted when a person is infected/carrier. So I’m hoping you can help as an infectious disease specialist - on the basis my parents have already become carriers of MRSA then:

1. So would I be right that that there are no medical conditions or medications (including DCD or Crohn’s disease, lung/asthma disease/oral and inhaled steroids/bronchiectasis  and blood clotting disorders etc) that would increase the likelihood of colonised/carrier MRSA turning into an infection and becoming dangerous/causing symptoms? Regardless of how old my parents would be?

I understand for most carriers of MRSA it is harmless so this will provide me with some reassurance.

2. I have read that between 1-3% of the general population is MRSA carriers. Am I right that given this is not an STD, the prevalence would not be significantly higher in people who are promiscuous with unprotected sex? I read that MRSA is much more common in HIV+ patients so that made me wonder.

3.So basically am I correct to think MRSA transmission to members of my family is not something to worry about in my situation/as an STD? Thank you again Drs