One the reason there's so much anxiety about "MRSA" is it's incredibly tough to treat.

We did some checking with the Mayo Clinic and found about one-third of the general population is infected with "MRSA" and don't even know it.

The surprising thing is, on average, one out of every three people has MRSA bacteria living on their bodies, usually on their skin or in their nose.

MRSA stands for "Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus":

It's a mutated form of the common Staph bacteria:

But because it's mutated, it is generally resistant to most common drugs used for treatment.

Where MRSA creates a problem is if it enters the bloodstream through a cut or some other opening.

It begins exhibiting signs as a skin irritation: this picture here is mild compared to what some MRSA infections can lead to.

Younger people can usually fight off MRSA if it's caught early. The problems begin when older people or people with weakened immune systems develop MRSA....in those cases it can move quickly and be fatal.

Because MRSA is resistant to several powerful drugs, the bacterial infection often has to be treated with a drug cocktail: several drugs to beat it down.