MRSA, the dangerous antibiotic-resistant form of staph, can live almost anywhere. MRSA attacked Maureen Daly's mother.

"She was the most amazing woman," said Maureen. "She was trapped in her body, and the infection, the MRSA, just kept ravaging and ravaging her system."

MRSA spreads by skin and clothing contact and thrives in crowded quarters. Athletic facilities are notorious for harboring the bacteria.

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READ MORE: Fighting A Superbug

A breakthrough preventive technology called the sports antimicrobial system is protecting athletes. It can be sprayed on any surface and instantly bonds to bacteria, killing them on contact and stopping the growth for up to three years.

"That young kid out there running around that field, to the professional athlete can feel pretty safe," said Craig Andrews, a sports medicine researcher.

Hospitals can also be a danger zone for contracting MRSA. It's crucial to detect the bug quickly to protect other patients. A new test called the gene x-pert looks at the bug's DNA. It can diagnose MRSA in just hours instead of days.

"Within 72 minutes now, we can diagnose the presence of MRSA," said Dr. David Persing.

MRSA can even live in your dog's nose.

"They're just colonizing it. They're carrying it, and then that can be a source to come right back to us," said veterinarian Mike Hutchison.

So make sure you wash your hands often for 20 seconds with anti-bacterial soap, clean surfaces regularly, don't share towels or other personal items and don't ignore signs of infection.

Doctors often use antibiotics to treat resistant strains of MRSA. But scientists in Indiana have developed a drug that was able to actually kill the bug. But so far, it's only had success in the lab, and has not been tested on people.