Chronic overuse of antibiotics has led to an age where some microorganisms are no longer susceptible to any known antibiotic. Of particular concern to clinicians is one type of antibiotic resistant bacteria that contributes to the majority of hospital acquired surgical site infections: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. One promising substance that has been shown to inhibit the growth of S. aureus in vitro is manuka honey (MH); however, not much is known about the role MH may play in the inhibition of initial wound infection in a living organism. To explore this aspect we plan to use an established epicutaneous mouse model of infection which involves pretreating mice with MH and then challenging them with S. aureus. Results will be interpreted via superficial appearance to track wound progression, histology to assess tissue damage, and RT-q-PCR to compare expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and bacterial virulence factors between groups.