MRSA is a growing problem. The majority of MRSA infected individuals contract it while in a hospital facility. There is growing concern that the United States livestock, especially poultry, is a breeding ground for multidrug resistant forms of microbes because our livestock are bombarded with antibiotics which kills off the weak strains of the microbe but the limited amount of stronger/resistant bacteria lives on and spreads out to the rest of the community.

I just completed two separate courses on drug resistant pathogens so most of the information I have off hand is up to date, plus I actually got to grow a strain of Staph. aureus in one of my previous Microbiology labs (which smelled very bad)

Methicillin Resistant Staph. Aureus is resistant to Penicillin, Methicillin, gentamicin, amoxicillin, oxacillin and there has been multiple, recent cases in the US and Japan of strains that are "intermediately" resistant to Vancomycin. Vancomycin is the only readily available treatment for this strain of S. aureus. The ONLY available treatment in the U.S. -In Europe and many other countries, there is an antibiotic that is as powerful, if not more powerful, then vancomycin, called Teicoplanin. Unfortunately it is not FDA approved in America.

Over prescribing of antibiotics as well as patients not taking the antibiotic for the full duration (usually 10 days) is a big contributer to creating these powerfull drug resistant strains.

Vancomycin may have a few very bad side effects in some patients, such as hypotension, kidney damage, neutropenia and allergic reactions.
Staph. aureus can cause many skin problems, blisters, boils, acne like bumps, which can probably look similar to a spider bite. That red bumb that looked like a spider bite was, most likely caused by the MRSA, which means you probably contracted it in the "community". You may have contracted it if you or someone you know had contact with children, an athlete, a prisoner, a military recruit, Native American, Alaskan Native, or a Pacific Islander. Close skin to skin contact can spread the bacteria as well as touching contaminated surfaces like door knobs and equipment at health clubs. The best way to prevent it from spreading is to disinfect your living space (think about everything you touched when you first got sick - door knob, phone, car keys, computer keyboard, etc.) Wash hands frequently and if you live with anyone else or have had contact with others (esp. children) then you should examine them, or have them examine themselves, for blisters, boils, bumps, rash or acne like bumps.

I'm not aware of any long term effects from MRSA.