Health officials warned Washington state residents to be watchful of their health and to get a flu shot if they have not, after a college student in Whatcom County died due to an MRSA pneumonia.

Chris Feden, 20, an engineering student at Western Washington University, died from MRSA pneumonia, a rare and critical infection that he got after having flu.

His mother said the illness "came on really fast."

MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, are staph bacteria that are resistant to the action of methicillin and related antibiotics. Staph bacteria often live in the nose or on the skin of healthy people that penetrates the skin or even invade other parts of the body.

Incidence of MRSA pneumonia is increasing, having 32 infections for 100,000 people according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.