About two years ago, the death of a high school student athlete brought methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) into the national spotlight. Preventing the spread of MRSA in schools, gyms, and other public facilities is an important public health goal. This Issue Brief presents current information on the prevalence and transmission of MRSA in community settings, and describes ongoing research on interventions to limit the spread of this increasingly common infection.