News Health & Medicine Drug-resistant staph causes more pneumonia By Ben Harder October 12, 2004 at 7:43 pm - More than 2 years ago Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print From Boston, at a meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America MICROBIAL THUGS. Antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, once confined to health care facilities, have become widespread. CDC Last winter, a recently discovered bacterial variant became a major cause of severe pneumonia among people who caught the flu. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, has long been a menace in hospitals, where it can spread from one patient to another.