Staph (pronounced staff) is short for Staphylococcus. Staph is a type of germ (bacteria) that can cause infections almost anywhere in the body. One type of staph germ, called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is harder to treat. This is because MRSA is not killed by certain medicines (antibiotics) used to treat other staph germs.

