Abstract: A method for reducing the spread of bacterial infections includes identifying a group of individuals at risk of an infection that colonizes in the nose, determining whether any individuals can be exclude, designating an individual or group of individuals who will receive treatment, providing a strip, mask, and/or clip, the strip, mask, and/or clip having an effective amount of antimicrobial agent capable of being delivered to the colony of bacteria in, on, and around the nose, the strip, mask, and/or clip is applied to the nose of the individual or group so to allow the agent to migrate to eradicate the colony.

Abstract: A method for reducing the spread of bacterial infections includes identifying a group of individuals at risk of an infection that colonizes in the nose, determining whether any individuals can be exclude, designating an individual or group of individuals who will receive treatment, providing a strip, the strip having an effective amount of antimicrobial agent capable of being delivered to the colony of bacteria in, on, and around the nose, the strip is applied to the nose of the individual or group so to allow the agent to migrate to eradicate the colony; in an embodiment, a surgical mask, or a similar mask that covers the nose and mouth, is provided, said mask having a portion of the mask that contacts the nose, and said portion containing an antimicrobial agent capable of being delivered to eradicate the colonization of bacteria within the nose.

Abstract: A method or protocol for reducing the spread of bacterial infections such as MRSA among a population includes identifying a group of individuals at risk of carrying or becoming carriers of a bacterial infection that colonizes in the nose, determining whether any individuals can be excluded from treatment due to reasons relating to the individual's other activities or precautions taken, designating an individual or group of individuals who will receive treatment, providing a strip, the strip having an effective amount of antimicrobial agent capable of being delivered transdermally, the strip is exteriorly applied to the nose of the designated individual or group of individuals so to allow the antimicrobial agent to pass through the nose to interact with the colony to suppress the colonization, or altogether eradicate the colony.