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Discharged hospital patients can carry superbugs home and infect relatives or caregivers, even if they weren't sickened by the bacteria, per a study in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. The University of Iowa-led research examined 158 million insurance claims from 2001 to 2021, finding methicillin-resistant staph (MRSA) in over 424,000 patients. Family members of hospitalized MRSA patients were 71 times more likely to contract the infection. Exposure to a recently discharged family member raised infection risk by 44%, increasing with longer hospital stays. Researchers recommend hospitals improve MRSA testing at discharge, even for asymptomatic patients.