It was very scary and I'm still a little worried about them being colonized. I think they got it when they had their noses cauterized in the hospital.
You can get Hibiclens at any drugstore, like CVS, and a topical antibiotic cream for the nostrils is what is recommended.
Also, oddly, the less history you have of using antibiotics in the past, the stronger your own defenses are to fight MRSA, which is why so may elderly and those with compromised immunity have such virulent cases.
Yes, it is scary. However, MRSA skin infections tend to burn out after about a year. Currently, no studies show a definitive “eradication” method to get rid of MRSA. Here’s some recommendations gathered from the CDC at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/ar/CAMRSA_ExpMtgStrategies.pdf)
PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SKIN BOILS and INFECTIONS:
-Wounds that are draining should be kept covered with clean, dry bandages. If this is not possible at all times, the patient should not participate in activities involving skin-to-skin contact with other individuals (such as athletics) until the wound is healed.
-Keep hands clean by regularly washing with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand gel (if the hands are not visibly soiled). The hands should be cleaned immediately after touching the skin or any item that has come in direct contact with a draining wound.
-Maintain good general hygiene with regular bathing and continue when healed.
-Avoid sharing personal items that may become contaminated with wound drainage. (E.G. towels, clothing, bedding, bar soap, razors, or athletic equipment that touches the skin.)
-Launder materials that come into contact with wound drainage after each use and dry thoroughly.
-Clean equipment and other environmental surfaces with which multiple individuals have bare skin contact with an over-the-counter cleaner that specifies S. aureus and is suitable for the type of surface being cleaned. (CDC recommendations:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/ar/CAMRSA_ExpMtgStrategies.pdf)