MRSA Culture – Nose/Groin

You can now test for MRSA from the comfort of your own home with our easy-to-use MRSA Culture Test for the nose and groin. Whether you’re preparing for surgery, working in healthcare, or simply want peace of mind, this home swab kit makes it simple. Your samples are sent to a certified UKAS-accredited lab, and you’ll get your results quickly—often within 1 to 3 working days. It’s a fast, private, and convenient way to check for MRSA, and delivery is always free and tracked across the UK.

An MRSA culture test checks for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus—a type of bacteria that doesn’t respond to many common antibiotics. MRSA often lives harmlessly on your skin, or in your nose or groin, without causing any problems. However, it can spread easily and sometimes cause serious infections, especially after surgery or during a stay in hospital.

This test uses gentle, sterile swabs from your nose and groin—the two most common places MRSA is found. Even if you feel completely healthy, the test can show whether you’re carrying MRSA.

Hospitals often ask for MRSA screening before surgery or when you’re admitted. You might need this test if you:

Even if you don’t have symptoms, MRSA can still be shared with others. Getting tested helps keep you, your loved ones, and your community safe.

Your kit includes:

No special skills are needed—just follow the easy instructions included in your kit.

Your samples are analysed in a UKAS-accredited medical lab, so you can trust the results meet the same high standards as the NHS.

If you’re wondering how to get tested for MRSA in the UK, our MRSA Culture Test (Nose & Groin) is here to help. We offer next-day dispatch and provide fast, accurate results—all from the comfort of your own home.

Price: £89.99 (includes free tracked UK delivery) -Save £24
Availability: In stock – dispatched within 1 working day

Take care of your health and those around you—order your MRSA test kit today.

📞 Need help? Contact our UK support team on 0330 133 4245

How to Treat MRSA in Kids?

MRSA is a skin infection that can affect children and should always be managed and treated by a doctor or paediatric team. Some children are carriers of MRSA (colonised), where they don’t have an active infection. In MRSA in children, when an infection is active, symptoms such as red, swollen, painful bumps and feeling generally unwell occur. Treating MRSA in kids usually involves topical decolonisation treatments (such as antiseptic skin wash and nasal ointments)

Diagnosing and treating paediatric MRSA skin infections always takes place in a healthcare setting where doctors take swabs from the nose, groin, or infected skin before using topical treatments of antibiotics. In some cases, drainage of abscesses and antibiotics are also necessary for a deeper infection.

Properly treating MRSA in kids is important. Never try to squeeze or drain MRSA lesions at home – this can make things worse and spread infection. If your child is feeling unwell with MRSA, such as having spreading redness, high fever, or pain, it’s important to see your GP or dial NHS 111 so you can arrange hospital treatment.

Where testing fits in…

When it comes to MRSA screening UK, MRSA is always diagnosed and treated in a hospital setting. However, you can get MRSA screening UK tests for home from Repose. These pre-operative MRSA screenings include nose and groin swabs for MRSA (similar to what doctors do). However, these at-home MRSA nose and groin swab tests are predominantly for adults – they should only ever be used after discussing with a doctor, and you should always discuss results with your GP or paediatrician.

How Do You Test for MRSA in the UK?

Either get tested in a medical setting or choose a home MRSA test kit.

You can order the MRSA home test kit UK online (with free tracked UK delivery and returns) that includes a self-collect MRSA swab kit. After taking the sample, you return it to a UKAS-accredited lab (ISO 15189). There is no GP referral needed.

Alternatively, get screened in an NHS hospital, where they perform a swab test and later send to labs to check for MRSA.

Some people need regular MRSA screenings, including healthcare workers, people with a history of MRSA, those living with vulnerable individuals, and people preparing for elective surgery.

What Are the Five C’s of MRSA?

There are certain MRSA risk factors, also known as the 5 C’s of MRSA.

Crowding: crowding and skin-to-skin contact go hand in hand.

Skin-to-skin contact: touching skin can easily spread MRSA.

Compromised skin: this includes cuts, grazes, rashes, or wounds.

Contamination: such as contaminated towels or shared equipment.

Cleanliness problems: a lack of cleanliness and hygiene.

MRSA is commonly spread in areas like gyms, changing rooms, prisons, schools, and nurseries. To prevent MRSA skin infections, simple habits like regular handwashing, covering wounds, and avoiding sharing towels and razors can help.

What Do MRSA Bumps Look Like?

So, what does MRSA look like? The truth is that MRSA skin bumps look like a lot of other skin infections, and you cannot reliably tell what it is from appearance alone. Generally, though, they look like red, swollen, painful boils or abscesses with a strong resemblance to spider-bite-like bumps. The area feels like warm skin, similar to cellulitis, and they sometimes produce pus-filled lesions. Also, people may have a fever or feel generally unwell.

Do not pick or squeeze at MRSA bumps; instead, keep the area covered and clean and seek medical advice. You can also use one of Repose’s MRSA culture tests to check for colonisation status between hospital appointments (if you get MRSA regularly).

It’s also important to note that MRSA infections generally occur in healthcare settings, and this is known as HA-MRSA. Community-associated MRSA is known as CA-MRSA.

Where is the Most Common Place to Catch MRSA?

It’s normal to wonder: where do you catch MRSA?

Community: This includes the five C’s of gyms, sports clubs, prisons, shared accommodation, schools, and households where people share towels or razors.

Healthcare Settings: MRSA in hospitals is common. It is called healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) and happens in surgical wards, ICUs, and nursing homes. It’s particularly common there because individuals have weakened immune systems and surgical wounds or are using catheters.

Is There an Over-the-Counter MRSA Test?

So, can you buy an MRSA test online? While there is no instant MRSA self test strip that gives instant results at home, there is the Repose home MRSA Nose & Groin test that targets the two most common colonisation sites. Be aware that a positive MRSA result means you’re carrying the infection, and you should discuss it with a medical professional. Repose will always guide you on the next steps and can refer you to trusted private GP partners or advise you to see your own GP if your results need clinical attention.

Can MRSA Cause Styes?

Yes – MRSA is a strain of Staphylococcus aureus, so an MRSA eye infection is possible. Styes are usually caused by staph bacteria infecting the oil glands in the eyelid. Some signs of a hordeolum (style) include:

• Redness
• A tender and painful eyelid bump
• Swelling
• Soreness
• Eye watering

Most cases of a style can easily be managed with warm compresses, but in some cases, doctors may check for an MRSA eye infection or a Staphylococcus aureus eyelid infection. They will typically do this if there are recurrent styles, repeated infections, or a history of MRSA skin infections.

An at-home MRSA test like the one from Repose does not test the eye area. Instead, it shows whether you are carrying MRSA in the nose or groin area, which may be useful if you experience repeated infections. If you have severe eye pain, vision changes, spreading redness, or feel very unwell, it’s important to seek urgent medical attention rather than relying on a home test kit!