A recent U.S. study shows that staph deaths are numbering higher than AIDS deaths yearly.

This study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the first one that draws attention to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA. The main concern was on the most serious types of MRSA, which can cause pneumonia, blood infections and surgical wound infection.

It seems that staph infections usually originated in health settings are spreading their area of contracting. Particularly over the last decade, staph infection has been found in prisons, athletic field and locker rooms.

The study reported 14 per cent staph infections that were not contracted in medical facilities. According to this research, staph infection caused 18,700 deaths in the year 2005, which exceeds the 17,000 deaths from infection with AIDS the same year.

Also the cases of staph infection have increased over the last past years. Texas Children's Hospital presented statistics showing that the number of patients with the infection, more than doubled since 2000.

Dr. Monina Klevens, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC said: "This is really a call to action for health care facilities to do a better job at preventing MRSA."

Some hospitals, gyms and other public facilities have introduced prevention actions against the spreading of the bacteria such as more thorough scrubbing of equipment, using hotter water for laundry, banning towel sharing and increasing the use of disinfectants.

Although the majority of staph infections are contracted in medical care facilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise people outside these facilities to be careful and in order to prevent infection to take the following actions: wash hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage, when one appears red or infected, see a doctor and avoid sharing items like towels or razors.