Vancomycin-Intermediate/Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus infections (VISA/VRSA) are strains of Staphylococcus aureus that have evolved resistance to the drug vancomycin. Staphylococcus aureus, sometimes known as staph, is a bacterium that lives on the skin and in the nose of approximately 30 percent of the population and, for the most part, does not cause harm.
Staph infections are rare, despite being one of the most prevalent causes of skin illness in the United States. These skin infections might resemble pimples, boils, or other skin disorders, and the majority of them are treatable. Staph bacteria may cause severe illnesses and even death in rare cases.