MRSA Latest News and Updates

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infection (MRSA) - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

2011-07-22T09:43:00.001-07:00

Definition:

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is a mutation of a very common bacterium that is spread easily by direct person-to-person contact. Once limited to large teaching hospitals and tertiary care centers, MRSA is now endemic in nursing homes, long-term care facilities,and even community hospitals. Patients most at risk for MRSA include immunosuppressed patients, burn patients, intubated patients, and those with central venous catheters, surgical wounds, or dermatitis. Others at risk include those with prosthetic devices, heart valves, and postoperative wound infections. Other risk factors include prolonged hospital stays, extended therapy with multiple or broadspectrum antibiotics, and close proximity to those colonized or infected with MRSA. Also at risk are patients with acute endocarditis, bacterium, cervicitis, meningitis, pericarditis, and pneumonia.

Causes of MRSA Infection

MRSA enters health care facilities through an infected or colonized patient or colonized health care worker. Although MRSA has been recovered from environmental surfaces, it's transmitted mainly on health care workers' hands. Many colonized individuals become silent carriers. The most frequent site of colonization is the anterior nares (40% of adults and most children become transient nasal carriers). Other sites include the groin, axilla, and the gut, though these sites aren't as common. Typically, MRSA colonization is diagnosed by isolating bacteria from nasal secretions. In individuals where the natural defense system breaks down, such as after an invasive procedure, trauma, or chemotherapy, the normally benign bacteria can invade tissue, proliferate, and cause infection.

Today up to 90% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates or strains arc penicillin-resistant, and about 27% of all S. aureus isolates are resistant to methicillin, a penicillin derivative. These strains may also resist cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, erythromycin, tetracycline, and clindamycin. MRSA has become prevalent with the overuse of antibiotics. Over the years, overuse has given once-susceptible bacteria the chance to develop defenses against antibiotics. This new capability allows resistant to flourish when antibiotics knock out their more sensitive cousins.

Diagnosis for MRSA Infection

MRSA can be cultured from the suspected site with the appropriate culture method. For example, MRSA in a wound infection can be swabbed for culture. Blood, urine, and sputum cultures will reveal sources of MRSA.

Treatment for MRSA Infection

To eradicate MRSA colonization in the nares, the doctor may order topical mupirocin applied inside the nostrils. Other protocols involve combining a topical agent and an oral antibiotic. Most facilities keep patients in isolation until surveillance cultures are negative. To attack MRSA infection, vancomycin is the drug of choice. A serious adverse effect (mostly caused by histamine release) is itching, which can progress to anaphylaxis. Some doctors also add rifampin, but whether rifampin acts synergistically or antagonistically when given with vancomycin is controversial. Due to S. aureus with reduced or total resistance to vancomycin investigation is ongoing for other effective antibiotics.

Special Considerations and Prevention Tips for MRSA Infection

1. Personnel in contact with patients should wash hands before and after patient care.
2. Use an antiseptic soap, such as chlorhexidine, because bacteria have been cultured from workers' hands after they've washed with milder soap. One study showed that without proper hand washing, MRSA could survive on health care workers' hands for up to 3 hours .
3. Contact isolation precautions should be used when in contact with the patient. A private room should be used, as well as dedicated equipment and disinfection of the environment.
4. Change gloves when contaminated or when moving from a "dirty" area of the body to a clean one.
5. Instruct family and friends to wear protective clothing when they visit the patient and show them how to dispose of it.
6. Provide teaching and emotional support to the patient and family members.
7. Consider grouping infected patients together and having the same nursing staff care for them.
8. Equipment used on the patient should not be laid on the bed or bed stand and should be wiped with appropriate disinfectant before leaving the room.
9. Ensure careful use of antibiotics. Encourage doctors to limit antibiotic use.
10. Instruct the patient to take antibiotics for the full prescription period, even if he begins to feel better.
11. Good hand washing is the most effective way to prevent MRSA from spreading. This includes hand washing between tasks and procedures on the same patient to prevent cross-contamination of different body parts.

Staph & MRSA Infection Unseen Excl Pictures

2011-04-29T00:35:00.000-07:00

Staph Infection Pictures

MRSA Infection Pictures

MRSA Superbug History

2011-04-29T00:20:00.000-07:00

It seems that MRSA is suddenly in the news today. However, this superbug dates back to 1961 when it was first discovered in the U.K. Then in October 2007 a CDC report was published in an issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Herein it has been suggested that it is just now being noticed that these infections are more prevalent than had been previously thought. As such, there really in not an increase in MRSA. However, it means that MRSA is now being measured better than it has ever been measured in the past. In fact, today we now know that while in 1999 there were only 127,000 and then in 2005 there were more than 278,000 cases. During this same time period deaths also increased from 11,000 to more than 17,000 deaths.

With this in mind you may be wondering if this was primarily a hospital problem that has now become a community problem. Unfortunately, there is no information as to whether MRSA Superbug has evolved within the community. However, one thing is for sure and that is that the community-based form of MRSA did not originate from the hospital form of MRSA. Nevertheless, it is still widely believed that drug-resistant bacteria may have developed from the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.

Throughout history, staph infections have always been the most common and the most serious types of infections. The only difference is that today these infections are now resistant to antibiotics (MRSA). This type of infection has risen dramatically in comparison with those that are not resistant to antibiotics due to the fact that antibiotics have been both overused and misuse throughout history. Plus, it is also important to realize that the number of people who at risk for MRSA today (those people who have a chronic illness, are on kidney dialysis, have been exposed in a health care setting or who use intravenous catheters or other implanted medical devices) has steadily increased due to changes in the health care system as well as the fact that the aging population has also risen.

Around 85% of today's MRSA infections are still found within hospitals and other health care facilities, instead of in the community. Yet, there have been clusters of community-associated MRSA skin infections found primarily amongst athletes, military members, children, Pacific Islanders, Alaskan Natives, American Indians, gay males and prisoners. This is due to the following risk factors that are present within these groups of people:

Close skin-to-skin contact.
Cuts or abrasions in the skin.
Contaminated items and surfaces.
Crowded living conditions.
Poor hygiene.

This should explain to you that there are not necessarily more cases of MRSA Superbug today but that instead health care professionals are more closely monitoring it.

MRSA Superbug Symptoms

2011-04-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

There are many forms of MRSA in existence today. It is important to be properly diagnosed to see which type you have before any treatment may begin. However, this needs to be done as soon as possible to prevent this illness from growing worse. This is highly important considering that people have actually died from this illness not being able to be cured.

The most common way in which MRSA starts off is as a skin infection, in the form of either an abscess or a boil. This may look like small red bumps resembling pimples or like a spider bite. However, these can quickly become deep, painful abscesses that must be surgically drained. Along with this skin issue you may also get flu-like symptoms, which include a high fever and sweating. If left untreated, MRSA can burrow deeper into your body and cause potentially life-threatening infections in your bones, joints, bloodstream, heart valves or lungs.

MRSA can also show up as a urinary tract infection. In the worst case, MRSA may actually enter into your lungs and cause you to have pneumonia, which includes a high fever and difficulty with breathing. As you can clearly see, some of these symptoms are so subtle that they may actually be missed upon first glance. However, the symptoms also depend upon where your infection is located.
Other signs and symptoms of MRSA include:

A superficial skin infection that has a honey-colored crust and blisters.
A pussy infection in your hair follicles.
A collection of pus under your skin that is red, hot to the touch, swollen and tender. (This is most commonly known as an abscess.)
An infection that is larger than an abscess and has several openings.
An infection in your soft tissue that may start as what may look like a pimple or bug bite but then become hot to the touch, red, swollen and tender.
A sty, which is simply an infection of the eyelids.

If it is a serious case of MRSA, then these signs and symptoms may be present:

Low blood pressure.
Joint pain.
A severe headache.
Shortness of breath.
A rash over the majority of your body.
Chest pain.
Fatigue.
Muscle aches.
Generally feeling ill.

Now that you know what the different forms of MRSA Superbug are and what symptoms to look for, make sure that you see your doctor as soon as possible if you have one or more of these symptoms. This is important because MRSA can become serious in just a very short amount of time. Therefore, seeing your doctor may just end up saving your life.

MRSA Treatments & Staph Treatments Comparison

2011-04-29T00:02:00.000-07:00

There is no longer a silver bullet when it comes to MRSA infection treatment. Antibiotics are becoming less and less effective against MRSA infections every year as the bacteria become resistant to even the newest ‘last resort’ antibiotics. Natural antibiotics must be considered and used instead of, or in conjunction with antibiotics in order to achieve the best results with these dangerous and often deadly infections.

MRSA Treatments and Staph Treatments - Why you need to look at both Traditional AND Alternative Medicine

It is clear that the standard MRSA treatment or Staph treatment regimen using antibiotics can no longer be relied upon exclusively. Staph and MRSA are both serious infections that will likely require some type of treatment on your part. MRSA is a type of Staph infection that "generally" is more dangerous because it is more resistant to traditional antibiotics and harder to kill with disinfectants. However, general Staph infections can also be dangerous if not treated promptly and properly.

Fortunately, there are many safe and effective methods for handling MRSA and Staph infections beyond the scope of traditional antibiotics. Some of these so called “alternative” methods are successfully used today by mainstream medicine in France, Germany and other modern countries. And, many “natural” antibiotics have been used for thousands of years against bacteria.

Many alternative Staph treatments and MRSA treatments have the added benefit of helping counteract the negative side effects of antibiotics and boosting the body’s immune system.

MRSA Treatments and Staph Treatments can be divided into two primary groups:

Western medicine (also called allopathic, traditional, conventional, or mainstream medicine)

Alternative medicine (also called natural, holistic, naturopathic or integrative medicine)

Each of the above approaches to MRSA infection treatment has its benefits and drawbacks. The table below summarizes some of the key differences between these two treatment paradigms.

Western Medicine

Alternative Medicine

Best option for surgeries, trauma care and acute life threatening illness

Effective at quickly masking symptoms to provide immediate relief

Widely available and covered extensively by insurance

Treats symptoms effectively, not the underlying cause

Poor record on healing chronic diseases

Treatments are often invasive and have undesirable side effects

Treats the body in parts, not as a whole

Medical schools are structured into organ-specific departments, with little relationship with each other

Focus on proactive measures

Treats the cause of illness and disease, not just the symptoms

More cost effective

Methods target whole body, as an interrelated system

Generally safe with minimal side effects when used according to directions

Best option for chronic diseases

Requires more personal education and self direction because it is not taught to most doctors and most patients never hear about it

Can take longer to see results because addressing the root cause is more involved than simply masking symptoms

Western medicine is widespread, universally available and is the standard of treatment in the Western world. Western medicine is the cornerstone of the healthcare system in the USA and is strictly controlled and monitored in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other organizations. The American Medical Association (AMA) ensures that Western medicine is the focus of all medical schools and helps to perpetuate the paradigm of Western medicine.

Alternative medicine, on the other hand, is not widely used or understood in the Westernworld. Medical doctors are not taught alternative techniques in medical school and most alternative treatment approaches are not understood or indorsed by Western medicine.

Despite widespread ignorance and misunderstanding of Alternative medicine, a growing number of people in the Western world are leaning about alternative techniques and using them to great success with MRSA infections and other illnesses.

There is a growing public awareness of the benefits of alternative medicine and more and more medical doctors are taking it on themselves to learn alternative techniques and offer them to their patients.

Naturopathic Doctors (ND) are specifically trained in the use of Alternative medicine and can be a valuable resource to those who wish to use alternative MRSA infection treatments.

Naturopathic medicine focuses on finding the cause of illness and then stimulating the body's ability to heal itself - thus resolving the illness and addressing the underlying cause.

Superbug Staph Spread

2011-04-28T23:56:00.000-07:00

MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a bacterium that can cause serious infections. It is resistant to numerous antibiotics of the beta-lactam family, including methicillin and penicillin.

MRSA belongs to the large group of bacteria known as Staphylococci, often referred to as Staph. About 25%-30% of all people have Staph within the nose, but it normally does not cause an infection. In contrast, only about 1% of the population have MRSA.

Infections with MRSA are most common in hospitals and other institutional health-care settings, such as nursing homes, where they tend to strike older people, those who are very ill, and people with a weakened immune system. In health-care settings, MRSA is a frequent cause of surgical wound infections, urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections (sepsis), and pneumonia.

MRSA outbreaks, however, are appearing increasingly in the community. Infections can occur in people who have not been hospitalized or had a medical procedure performed in the past year, and who do not have immune deficiency. These infections are termed community-associated MRSA infections (CA-MRSA). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 12% of MRSA infections are now community-associated, but this percentage can vary by community and patient population.

Community-associated MRSA infections usually affect the skin, causing pimples and boils in otherwise healthy people. Infected areas may be red, swollen, painful, and have pus or other drainage.

MRSA is typically transmitted from people with active MRSA infections. MRSA and other staph infections are primarily transmitted by the hands, which may become contaminated by contact with colonized or infected people or items or surfaces contaminated with body fluids containing MRSA. Skin-to-skin contact, cuts or abrasions of the skin, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions, and poor hygiene have all been associated with the transmission of MRSA in the community.

If you believe you have a Staph infection, visit your health-care provider. Most Staph and MRSA infections can be treated with antibiotics, but skin lesions may also be treated by drainage of the lesion under sterile conditions. MRSA infections that have been treated can recur and require further treatment.

Good hygiene is the most effective way to prevent MRSA infections and to prevent the recurrence of treated lesions. Hands should be kept clean by frequent washings or use of hand-sanitizer lotions. Openings in the skin such as cuts should be kept clean and covered until healed. Contact with other people's skin wounds should be avoided, and personal care items such as towels and razors should not be shared with others.

MRSA Infection News, How To Cure, Latest Cure Tips

2011-04-28T23:52:00.000-07:00

MRSA Infection News, How To Cure, MRSA Infection Latest Cure Tips, Best Tips, Best Medicine To Cure

About MRSA Infection

2011-04-28T23:48:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of questions today in regards to the super bug. People are hearing a lot about it but they still have much more that they desire to learn. It is with this in mind that this article is being written. Listed here are some of the most common questions about this illness.

What are the symptoms?

Whenever a person has this type of an infection, they will have red, inflamed skin around their wounds. If left untreated, this can become serious. Then symptoms will include fever, lethargy and headache. MRSA Superbug can also cause urinary tract infections, pneumonia, toxic shock syndrome and death.

Can this illness be treated?

While this super bug is resistant to most antibiotics, there are still a few that can be used to cure this illness.

Where can this the super bug be found?

It can be found in your nose, blood, urine or on your skin.

How is MRSA spread?

Usually this infection is spread among those who are very ill and thus cannot fight it off. Within this population of people, MRSA is mostly spread through physical contact. This is why health care workers really need to spend the extra time to ensure that they properly wash their hands.

How can the spread of this illness be prevented?

Some of the ways in which this illness can be prevented from spreading include:

Health care workers need to wash their hands after taking off their gloves, as well as between patient contact, tasks and procedures.
Gloves need to be worn whenever blood or body fluid is being handled.
Whenever you may be splashed with blood or body fluid, it is important to wear a mask and gown.
Patient care equipment needs to be properly cleaned, disinfected and sterilized.
Soiled laundry needs to be handled in a way that prevents skin contact.
Wounds need to be kept covered.
Personal items such as towels, razors and clothing should not be shared.

How can you protect yourself from getting MRSA?

There are a number of things that you can do to keep from getting this superbug, including:

Practice good hygiene.
Keep any skin abrasions or cuts covered with a clean, dry bandage until they are healed.
Do not share personal items.
Maintain a clean environment where you live.

When should you seek medical attention?

Minor skin problems that become infected should be seen by your doctor.

How is MRSA diagnosed?

Infections are diagnosed by a doctor who obtains a sample of the site for a laboratory that cultures it. The lab will also conduct tests using various antibiotics to see whether or not the bacteria is resistant to them.

"Nonspecific Genitourinary Infections - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment"

2011-04-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

What are Nonspecific Genitourinary Infections?

Nonspecific genitourinary infections, including nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) in males and mild vaginitis and cervicitis in females, are a group of infections with similar manifestations that are not linked to a single organism. These sexually transmitted infections have become more prevalent since the mid-1960s. They are more widespread than gonorrhea and may be the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. The prognosis is good if sexual partners are treated simultaneously.

What are the Causes of Nonspecific Genitourinary Infections?

Nonspecific genitourinary infections are spread primarily through sexual intercourse. In males, NGU commonly results from infection with Chlamydia trachomatis or Ureaplasrna urealyticum. Less frequently, infection may be related to preexisting strictures, neoplasms, or chemical or traumatic inflammation. Some cases remain unexplained.

Although less is known about nonspecific genitourinary infections in females, chlamydial organisms may also cause these infections. A thin vaginal epithelium may predispose prepubertal and postmenopausal females to nonspecific vaginitis.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Nonspecific Genitourinary Infections?

Nongonococcal urethritis occurs 1 week to 1 month after coitus, with scant or moderate mucopurulent urethral discharge, variable dysuria, and occasional hematuria. If untreated, NGU may lead to acute epididymitis. Subclinical urethritis may be found on physical examination, especially if the sex partner has a positive diagnosis.

Females with nonspecific genitourinary infections may experience persistent vaginal discharge, acute or recurrent cystitis for which no underlying cause can be found, or cervicitis with inflammatory erosion.
Both males and females with nonspecific genitourinary infections may be asymptomatic but show signs of urethral, vaginal, or cervical infection on physical examination.

Diagnosis for Nonspecific Genitourinary Infections

In males, microscopic examination of smears of prostatic or urethral secretions shows excess polymorphonuclear leukocytes but few, if any, specific microbes.

In females, cervical or urethral smears also reveal excess leukocytes and no specific microbes. "Clue cells" (normal epithelial cells covered with bacteria that appear stippled) are diagnostic.
Differential diagnoses include gonorrhea and urinary tract infection.

Treatment for Nonspecific Genitourinary Infections

Therapy for both sexes consists of a single 1 g oral dose of azithromyein (Zithromax) or doxycycline 100 mg orally twice a day for 7 days. If the infection recurs or persists, metronidazole 2 g orally as a single dose with erythromycin for 7 days is recommended. For females, treatment may also include application of a sulfa vaginal cream.

Special Considerations and Prevention Tips for Nonspecific Genitourinary Infections

1. Tell female patients to clean the pubic area before applying vaginal medication and to avoid using tampons during treatment.

2. Make sure the patient clearly understands and strictly follows the dosage schedule for all prescribed medications.

Nocardiosis - Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

2011-04-28T22:43:00.000-07:00

Nocardiosis is an acute, subacute, or chronic bacterial infection caused by a weakly grampositive species of the genus Nocardia - usually N. asteroides. It is most common in men, especially those with a compromised immune system. In patients with brain infection, mortality exceeds 80%; in other forms, mortality is 50%, even with appropriate therapy.

Causes of Nocardiosis:

Nocardia are aerobic gram-positive bacteria with branching filaments similar in appearance to fungi. Normally found in soil, these microbes cause occasional sporadic disease in humans and animals throughout the world.

Their incubation period is unknown but is probably several weeks. The usual mode of transmission is inhalation or organisms suspended in dust. Transmission by direct inoculation through puncture wounds or abrasions is less common.

Signs and symptoms of Nocardiosis:

Nocardiosis originates as a pulmonary infection with a cough that produces thick, tenacious, purulent, mucopurulent, and possibly blood-tinged sputum. It may also cause a fever as high as 105° F (40.6° C), chills, night sweats, anorexia, malaise, and weight loss. This infection may lead to pleurisy, intrapleural effusions, and empyema. Other effects include tracheitis, bronchitis, pericarditis, endocarditis, peritonitis, mediastinitis, septic arthritis, and keratoconjunctivitis. If the infection spreads through the blood to the brain, abscesses form, causing confusion, disorientation, dizziness, headache, nausea, and seizures. Rupture of a brain abscess can cause purulent meningitis. Extrapulmonary, hematogenous spread may cause endocarditis and lesions in the kidneys, liver, subcutaneous tissue, and bone.

Diagnosis for Nocardiosis:

Identifying Nocardia by culture of sputum or discharge is difficult. In many cases, special staining techniques must be used to make the diagnosis, in conjunction with a typical clinical picture (usually progressive pneumonia, despite antibiotic therapy). Occasionally, diagnosis requires biopsy of lung or other tissue. Chest X -rays vary and may show fluffy or interstitial infiltrates, nodules, or abscesses. Unfortunately, up to 40% of nocardial infections elude diagnosis until postmortem examination.

In brain infection with meningitis, lumbar puncture shows nonspecific changes, such as increased opening pressure; cerebrospinal fluid with increased white blood cell and protein levels; and decreased glucose levels compared to serum glucose.

Treatment of Nocardiosis:

Nocardiosis requires 12 to 18 months of treatment, preferably with co-trimoxazole or high doses of sulfonamides. In patients who do not respond to sulfonamide treatment, other drugs, such as ampicillin, erythromycin, or minocycline, may be added. Treatment also includes surgical drainage of abscesses and excision drainage of abcesses and excision of necrotic tissue. The acute phase requires complete bed rest; as the patient improves, activity can increase.

Special considerations for Nocardiosis:

Because it is not transmitted from person to person, nocardiosis requires no isolation.
1. Provide adequate nourishment through total parenteral nutrition, nasogastric tube feedings, or a balanced diet.

2. Give the patient tepid sponge baths and antipyretics, as ordered, to reduce his fever.

3. Monitor for allergic reactions to antibiotics.

4. High-dose sulfonamide therapy (especially sulfadiazine) predisposes the patient to crystalluria and oliguria, so assess him frequently, force fluids, and alkalinize the urine with sodium bicarbonate, as ordered, to prevent these complications.

5. In patients with pulmonary infection, administer chest physiotherapy. Auscultate the lungs daily, checking for increased crackles or consolidation. Note and record the amount, color, and thickness of sputum.

6. In brain infection, regularly assess neurologic function. Watch for signs of increased intracranial pressure, such as decreased level of consciousness, and respiratory abnormalities.

7. In long-term hospitalization, turn the patient often, and assist with range-of-motion exercises.

8. Before the patient is discharged, stress the need to follow a regular medication schedule to maintain therapeutic blood levels, and to continue drugs even after symptoms subside. Explain the importance of frequent follow-up examinations.

9. Provide support and encouragement to help the patient and his family cope with this long-term illness.

"Myocarditis - Causes, Symptoms & Treatments"

2011-04-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

Myocarditis Definition

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the myocardium, the heart muscle. Myocarditis may occur following a wide assortment of diseases, including bacterial and viral infections, immune system disorders, and the production of myocardial toxins by the body, as well as chemical and radiation exposure.

Myocarditis may be acute or chronic and can occur at any age. Frequently, myocarditis fails to produce specific cardiovascular symptoms or electrocardiogram abnormalities, and recovery is usually spontaneous, without residual defects.Myocarditis is also known as inflammation - heart muscle and Cardiomyopathy.

Myocarditis Causes

Myocarditis can be caused by a number of different conditions. The most common cause is infection of the heart muscle by a virus. The virus causes the initial heart muscle inflammation. After the initial viral infection subsides, the body's immune system continues to inflict inflammatory damage on the heart muscles. The condition may be caused by exposure to chemicals or allergic reactions to certain medications and it can be associated with autoimmune diseases.

Myocarditis can also be caused by a variety of conditions such as a virus, sarcoidosis and immune diseases, pregnancy, and others. The heart muscle becomes inflamed and weakened, causing symptoms of heart failure, which may mimic a heart attack.

Myocarditis Symptoms

Myocarditis can be mild and cause virtually no noticeable symptoms. When it is more serious, it leads to weakening of the heart muscle.

The other symptoms of the myocarditis may be included:

Viral illness
Fever
Fatigue
Diarrhea
Sore throat
Rashes
Joint pain
Swelling
Chest pain
Leg swelling
Headache
Muscle aches
Low urine output
Abnormal heart beats
Shortness of breath

Myocarditis Treatments

Diuretic medicines are also given to remove body water via the urine.

Steroids and other medications may be used to reduce inflammation.

Treatment includes evaluation and treatment of underlying cause. This may require use of antibiotics, reduced level of activity, and low-salt diet.

If the heart muscle is very weak, standard medicines to treat heart failure are also used. Abnormal heart rhythm may require the use of additional medications, a pacemaker or even a defibrillator.

Mycobacterium Avium Complex - Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

2011-04-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Mycobacterium Avium Complex Definition

A genus of aerobic, nonmotile bacteria containing gram-positive rods and including both parasitic and saprophytic species. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) consists of several related species of mycobacterium that are ubiquitous in the environment. Mycobacterium avium complex organisms can be found virtually anywhere in the environment.

Mycobacterium avium complex is usually found in people with CD4 counts below 100. Any organ system can he involved, especially those with many mononuclear phagoeytes. Less commonly, Mycobacterium avium complex may produce pulmonary disease in nonimmunocompromised people; it may manifest in children as cervical lymphadenitis.

Mycobacterium Avium Complex Causes

An opportunistic infection, that may be caused by two similar slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intercellulare. Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intercellulare may be found in the soil and in dust particles. Disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex infections are usually associated with immunocompromise, as in AIDS. Mycobacterium avium complex most often causes a disseminated illness (bacteria is spread though the blood stream) and can cause many symptoms throughout the body.

Mycobacterium avium complex can be spread through the bloodstream to infect lymph nodes, bone marrow, liver, spleen, spinal fluid, lungs and intestinal tract. It is impossible to avoid contact with Mycobacterium avium complex bacteria. A recent study showed that person-to-person transmission of MAC bacteria is unlikely.

Mycobacterium Avium Complex Symptoms

MAC can infect a person's entire body. The signs and symptoms of mycobacterium avium complex are generally nonspecific. The signs and symptoms of mycobacterium avium complex can be the same signs of other diseases.

The symptoms of the mycobacterium avium complex may be included:

Anemia
High fever
Fatigue
Diarrhea
Hepatitis
Weakness
Neutropenia
Skin lesions
Pneumonia
Night sweats
Weight loss
Enlarged spleen
Drenching sweats
Abdominal pain
Blood infections
Thrombocytopenia
Elevated liver function tests

Mycobacterium Avium Complex Treatments

Treatment usually involves taking several drugs for a long time.

You should not get treatment to prevent MAC disease until your T-cell count is below 50. Your doctor will tell you when you or your child need to begin treatment for preventing MAC disease.

The addition of rifabutin (300 mg daily) has been associated with increased mycobacterial clearance, but no survival benefit.

Health care providers use a combination of antibacterial drugs (antibiotics) to treat MAC. At least two drugs are used: usually azithromycin or clarithromycin plus up to three other drugs.

Mumps - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

2011-04-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

Definition:

Mumps is an acute , contagious, viral illness characterized by painful enlargement of the parotid glands, just below and in front of the ear, and at times, the salivary glands under the jaw and sometimes of the pancreas, ovaries, or testes.

Together with the likes of measles and chickenpox , mumps was once considered one of the inevitable infectious diseases of childhood. This disease, mainly affecting children, can be prevented by vaccination.

Mumps is characterized by a painful swelling of both cheeks. In some cases, the swelling may occur in only one cheek, or there may be no swelling at all. The word "mumps" comes from an old English word meaning lumps or bumps in the cheeks.

Causes of mumps:

* Mumps is caused by a mumps virus, an RNA virus of the paramyxovirus family of viruses. It spreads from person to person as well as through contact with contaminated items and surfaces.

* Once the mumps virus enters the body, it passes into the bloodstream and can spread to many different glands and to the brain.

* Mumps occurs most often in children ages two through twelve, although unvaccinated adults are also susceptible.

* People with mumps are contagious for about a week before and two weeks after the onset of symptoms, which occurs about two to three weeks after exposure to the mumps virus.

* Mumps is mainly caused by a virus. The incubation period is from 16-18 days, ranging from 12-25 days after exposure. The period when someone is most infectious to others is from 1-2 days before and 5 days after the onset of swelling in the glands.

* The chances of getting the disease are greater if you have never received the mumps vaccine. Once you have had mumps you will develop an immunity to it and will not get it again.

* Mumps is spread through direct contact with saliva, e.g. kissing or sharing objects contaminated with infected saliva (e.g. cups, cutlery). The mumps virus is also present in nasal and throat discharge.

Other common causes of mumps includes:

* Droplets from coughs & sneezes
* Lack of immunization

Symptoms of Mumps:
The Symptoms and Signs of Mumps are:

* The first symptoms usually appear 16 to 18 days after exposure. It begins with fever and pain upon opening the mouth

* About 1/3 of people have no symptoms.

* Others can have swollen glands (swollen cheeks), headache, fever, and earache.

* Sore muscles

* Loss of appetite

* Headache

* Earache that is aggravated by chewing

* In men and adolescent boys, swelling in one or both testes

* Aversion to light, lethargy, and a stiff neck

* Upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting

* Lower abdominal pain in women

* Temperature is moderately high, usually lasting for 3-4 days.

* Eating or drinking acidic or citric foods causes much discomfort.

* Other symptoms may include testicular pain (in males), seizures, stiff neck, and difficulty swallowing.

* not feeling well

* The mouth may feel dry.

* You may feel tired and off your food for a few days.

Home Remedies for Mumps:
Some important home remedies for mumps includes:

Don't be Tart: Avoid giving your child citrus fruits or juices, or any other food that is high in acid, when he or she is suffering from mumps.

Ginger Powder: A paste made with dry ginger powder and water is applied on the visibly swollen parts.

Mullein Tea: Apply a cloth soaked in mullein tea to affected areas to help with swelling.

Herbal treatment for mumps:
Here are some important herbal treatment for mumps:

Indian Aloe: The use of the herb Indian aloe is a wellknown remedy in the indigenous system of medicine for any inflamed and painful part of the body.

Asparagus: The seeds of asparagus are also very valuable for the treatment of mumps. These seeds, when combined with an equal proportion of fenugreek (methi) seeds, works as a good remedy for mumps (make a paste by grounding both the seeds properly). This paste can be applied over the swellings.

Herbs: An acute attack can be managed using the mixture of concentrated extracts of the herbs Rosehips, Hypericum, Phytolacca, Fennel and Chamomile with the Bach Flower Rescue Remedy. This is taken at a dose rate of 15 drops three times daily in water and continued for 6 to 8 weeks.

Mucormycosis - Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

2011-04-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

Mucormycosis definition

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection. It may be caused by infection with various fungi from the class, zygomycetes. The organism is widely distributed through air, water and soil. Mucormycosis occurs predominately in the immunocompromised patient, burn patients and those on steroid therapy. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis is an infection of the nose, eyes, and brain.

Mucormycosis is an opportunistic infection that typically develops in patients with weakened immune systems, diabetes, kidney failure, organ transplants, or chemotherapy. Mucormycosis is also known as zygomycosis.

Mucormycosis Causes

Mucormycosis is caused by common fungi frequently found in the soil and amongst decaying vegetation. Most individuals are exposed to these fungi on a daily basis -- but people with immune disorders may be more susceptible to infection. Six forms of infection have been identified and include rhinocerebral, pulmonary, cutaneous, gastrointestinal, central nervous system, and disseminated disease.

Conditions most commonly associated with mucormycosis include diabetes mellitus, chronic steroid use, metabolic acidosis, organ transplantation, leukemia/lymphoma, treatment with deferoxamine, and AIDS. In immunocompromised patients, normal body defenses may fail, leading to spore germination and the development of hyphae, which extend into the blood vessels with resultant ischemia and necrosis of adjacent organs.

Mucormycosis Symptoms

Mucormycosis of the nasal cavity and sinuses usually is associated with fever. There is pain in the area affected. As the disease spreads, it can produce double vision, red eye, and bulging eye.

The other symptoms of the mucormycosis may be included:

* Cough
* Flank pain
* Eye swelling
* Acute sinusitis
* Abdominal pain
* Vomiting blood
* Coughing blood
* Redness of skin
* Dark nasal eschar
* Shortness of breath

Mucormycosis Treatments

Treatment is usually begun without waiting for laboratory reports because of the rapid spread and high mortality rate of the disease. It includes intravenous amphotericin B.

The mainstay of treatment for mucormycosis is early surgical intervention to remove all dead and infected tissue, along with intravenous antifungal therapy.

However, chances of survival are greatly decreased without this aggressive intervention.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Infection

2011-04-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Definition:

Staphylococcus is group of bacteria, that can cause a multitude of diseases. Staphylococcus that causes furunculosis, pyemia, osteomyelitis, suppuration of wounds, and food poisoning. It is frequently living on the skin or in the nose of a healthy person, that can cause illnesses ranging from minor skin infections. Each year some 500,000 patients in American hospitals contract a staphylococcal infection.
Staph bacteria may also be caused illness directly by infection or indirectly through products they make such as toxins responsible for food poisoning and toxic shock syndrome.Staph infection can be simple and localized, such as with impetigo of the skin.

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Causes

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus can thereby seed to various areas of the body. This spreading occurs more commonly in persons with abnormally suppressed immune systems. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is almost always spread by direct physical contact, and not through the air. Spread may also occur through indirect contact by touching objects contaminated by the infected skin of a person with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Just as S. aureus can be carried on the skin or in the nose without causing any disease, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus can be carried in this way also.
Today up to 90% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates or strains arc penicillin-resistant, and about 27% of all S. aureus isolates are resistant to methicillin, a penicillin derivative. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization is diagnosed by isolating bacteria from nasal secretions. In individuals where the natural defense system breaks down, such as after an invasive procedure, trauma, or chemotherapy, the normally benign bacteria can invade tissue, proliferate, and cause infection.

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Symptoms

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections can cause a broad range of symptoms depending on the part of the body that is infected. Sometimes, people may carry methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus without having any symptoms.

The symptoms of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus may be included:

Chills
Fever
Pimples
Rashes
Blisters
Warmth of the skin
Redness of the skin
Swelling of the skin
Tenderness of the skin

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Treatments

Depending on how serious your infection is, the doctor may drain your wound, prescribe antibiotic medicine, or hospitalize you.

Although methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus cannot be effectively treated with antibiotics such as methicillin, nafcillin, cephalosporin or penicillin, it can usually be treated with an antibiotic called vancomycin.
Most cases of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) begin as mild skin infections. You may be able to treat these infections without antibiotics by using a minor surgical procedure that opens and drains the sores.

"Explosive death for MRSA - More News"

2011-04-28T02:59:00.001-07:00

An antibody which causes MRSA bacteria to explode rather than divide brings hope for a universal vaccine.

MRSA is a highly antibiotic-resistant form of the bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus which kills about 20,000 people in the US alone each year. Although a small number of antibiotics work against MRSA, the bacteria is constantly evolving resistant strains.

Edward Schwartz and colleagues at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York have identified an antibody which targets a protein called glucosaminidase (GMD) deep within MRSA that has a key role in breaking down the cell wall, enabling the bacterium to divide.

What's more, the protein is genetically identical in all strains, so a vaccine that targets GMD could potentially be universal.

The team grew MRSA in culture alongside the new antibody. Bacteria exposed to the antibody either fused into long chains or exploded, significantly inhibiting bacterial growth.

The research was presented on Saturday at the Orthopaedic Research Society meeting in Long Beach, California.

"Infection risks spur physicians' inventions"

2011-04-28T02:57:00.001-07:00

For internist Richard Ma, MD, a hospitalist at Saints Memorial Medical Center in Lowell, Mass., the fight against hospital-acquired infections begins with the stethoscope. For Blaine Warkentine, MD, a Philadelphia-based orthopedist and physician entrepreneur, it starts with the smartphone.

Both physicians have developed tools they say help stop the spread of germs and the growth of bacteria on these two common devices. Dr. Ma invented sterile slip-on covers for stethoscopes. Dr. Warkentine created an antimicrobial cover for smartphones.

For years, studies have looked at the different ways infection can be transmitted from unexpected places. The American Medical Association House of Delegates, at its Annual Meeting in June, is scheduled to hear a Board of Trustees report summarizing much of that research.
read more click here

"MRSA New Guidelines"

2011-04-28T02:55:00.002-07:00

The Infectious Diseases Society of America on Jan. 4 issued its first clinical practice guidelines for treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus infections in adults and children. The IDSA recommends incision and drainage alone for treating a simple abscess due to community-associated MRSA. An antibiotic should be prescribed after such treatment under these circumstances:

There is severe or extensive disease, or a rapid progression in the presence of associated cellulitis.
An individual has signs and symptoms of systemic illness.
The patient has associated comorbidities or immunosuppression, such as diabetes.
The individual is either very young or very old.
The abscess is in an area difficult to drain.
A patient has associated septic phlebitis.
There is a lack of response to incision and drainage alone.

Source: "Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America for the Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infections in Adults and Children,"Clinical Infectious Diseases, published online Jan. 4 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21208910)

MRSA is responsible for 60% of skin infections seen in emergency departments

2011-04-28T02:55:00.000-07:00

Recommendations for primary care doctors

Key for primary care physicians are recommendations on treating skin and soft tissue infections associated with community-acquired MRSA and managing the recurrence of such conditions, which often are seen in the outpatient setting, Dr. Liu said.

In 2005, there were an estimated 14 million outpatient visits for suspected S. aureus skin and soft tissue infections in the U.S., according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infectious diseases experts said the number of such visits probably has increased since then.

Also gaining attention is the growing number of children hospitalized with MRSA, said Meg Fisher, MD, immediate past chair of the AAP's Section on Infectious Diseases. In 1999, there were two cases of MRSA per 1,000 hospital admissions of children younger than 18, according to a May 2010 Pediatrics study of more than 64,000 children nationwide. The rate climbed to 20.7 cases per 1,000 admissions in 2008.

Among the most common MRSA-related challenges for pediatricians is that the bacterium tends to cause repeated and recurrent infections, Dr. Fisher said. "Everyone was hoping that the guidelines would say something definitive, but unfortunately the recommendations are pretty weak [on this topic]," said Dr. Fisher, pediatric infectious diseases specialist and medical director of the Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey.

"New MRSA guidelines specify infection treatment"

2011-04-28T02:53:00.000-07:00

The Infectious Diseases Society of America's first-ever recommendations for combating the superbug say antibiotics are not always needed.

For many patients with a simple skin abscess, incision and drainage alone is adequate treatment, according to new guidelines for managing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Physicians should combine antibiotics with such care when there are multiple infection sites and when the abscess is in an area that is difficult to drain, such as the face and hands, say new recommendations issued by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Antibiotics should be prescribed when there is rapid progression of associated cellulitis, symptoms of systemic illness and associated comorbidities, including diabetes.

IDSA's first clinical practice guidelines on treating MRSA in adults and children were published online Jan. 4 in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The recommendations come as many physicians are struggling to manage the nation's uptick in health care- and community-associated MRSA cases with a limited number of antibiotics that can effectively treat the infections.

"The guidelines are meant to provide a framework to help physicians decide how to best evaluate and treat these infections," said lead guidelines author Catherine Liu, MD.

to read click here

Prevention Information & Advice for Athletes

2011-02-22T02:42:00.000-08:00

What To Do if You Think You Have MRSA

Tell your parent, coach, athletic trainer, school nurse, team doctor, or other healthcare provider if you think you have an infection so it can be treated quickly. Finding infections early and getting care will reduce the amount of playing time lost and decrease the chance that the infection will become severe.
- Pay attention for signs of infections such as redness, warmth, swelling, pus, and pain at sites where your skin has sores, abrasions, or cuts. Sometimes these infections can be confused with spider bites.
- Infections can also occur at sites covered by body hair or where uniforms or equipment cause skin irritation or increased rubbing.
Do not try to treat the infection yourself by picking or popping the sore.
Cover possible infections with clean, dry bandages until you can be seen by a healthcare provider (e.g., doctor, nurse, athletic trainer).

Prevention Steps for Athletes

Practice good personal hygiene

In addition to practicing good personal hygiene, athletes and visitors to athletic facilities should also do the following:

Keep your hands clean by washing frequently with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub.
- At a minimum, hands should be cleaned before and after playing sports and activities such as using shared weight-training equipment, when caring for wounds including changing bandages, and after using the toilet.
- Both plain and antimicrobial soap are effective for hand washing, but liquid soap is preferred over bar soap in these settings to limit sharing.
- If hands are not visibly dirty and sinks are not available for hand washing, for example, while on the field of play or in the weight-room, alcohol-based hand rubs and sanitizers can be used. Alcohol-based hand rubs with at least 60% alcohol content are preferred.
Shower immediately after exercise and do not share bar soap or towels.
Wash your uniform and clothing after each use. Follow the clothing label's instructions for washing and drying. Drying clothes completely in a dryer is preferred.

Take care of your skin

Wear protective clothing or gear designed to prevent skin abrasions or cuts.
Cover skin abrasions and cuts with clean dry bandages or other dressings recommended by your team’s healthcare provider (e.g., athletic trainer, team doctor) until healed.
- Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions for when and how often to change your bandages and dressings.

Do not share items that come into contact with your skin

Avoid sharing personal items such as towels and razors that contact your bare skin.
Do not share ointments that are applied by placing your hands into an open container.
Use a barrier (such as clothing or a towel) between your skin and shared equipment like weight-training, sauna, and steam-room benches.

Take precautions with common surfaces and equipment

Although in most situations you will not know if a surface has been cleaned, it’s important to remember that most surfaces do not pose a risk of spreading staph and MRSA.
If cleaning procedures are unknown, take the appropriate precautions such as:

Using barriers like a towel or clothing between your skin and the surface.
Showering immediately after activities where you have direct skin contact with people or shared surfaces such as after exercising at a health club.
Cleaning your hands regularly.
Keeping cuts and scrapes clean and covered with bandages or dressing until healed.

These precautions are especially important in settings such as in locker rooms, gyms, and health clubs.

How To Do MRSA Screening - Steps

2011-02-22T02:38:00.000-08:00

How is it used?
A MRSA screen is a test that looks solely for the presence of MRSA and no other pathogens. It is primarily used to identify the presence of MRSA in a colonized person or to determine if these resistant bacteria remain at a wound site after the person has been treated for a MRSA infection. On a community level, screening may be used to help determine the source of an outbreak. On a national level, special research tests may inform clinicians and researchers about the unique genetic characteristics of the strains of MRSA circulating in the community or health care setting.

The most widely used test to identify MRSA colonization is the culture. This test confirms the presence of the resistant bacteria and allows the organisms to be further characterized, but culture takes time, usually 1 to 2 days. A nasal swab is collected from the nares (nostrils) of an asymptomatic person and cultured (put onto a special nutrient medium, incubated, and then examined for the growth of characteristic MRSA colonies). A swab may be collected from a wound site or skin lesion of a person who has been previously treated for a MRSA infection and cultured similarly.

Some hospitals have instituted measures to control the spread of MRSA by screening those patients they feel are at risk of being colonized with these resistant bacteria (a carrier) or all new admissions to the hospital. When an outbreak of MRSA is under investigation, screening of health care workers, family members, and close contacts may be performed to identify the source of the infection and to help devise a plan to contain these infections. In some settings, such as nursing homes, a large number of people may be screened to evaluate the spread of colonization in a specific population.

Faster methods of MRSA screening by molecular methods have been developed. These new methods test for the mecA gene that confers resistance to the antibiotics methicillin, oxacillin, nafcillin, and dicloxacillin and other similar antibiotics. Molecular tests for MRSA screening have the potential to detect nasal or wound carriage within hours instead of days required by culture. Research is underway to determine the utility of these rapid and more expensive molecular tests.

When is it ordered?
A MRSA screening test may be ordered when a doctor, hospital, community health department, or researcher wants to evaluate potential MRSA colonization in an individual, their family members, and/or a group of people in the community as the source of a MRSA infection. Specific populations that have close physical contact, such as a soccer team, residents of a nursing home, health care workers, etc., may be tested for MRSA carrier status when an increased number of infections occur within their close group. Occasionally, a person who has been treated for MRSA infection or for MRSA colonization may be screened to determine whether MRSA is still present.

What does the test result mean?
If either a culture or a molecular test is positive for MRSA, then the person is colonized with MRSA at the site that was tested, which is usually the nares. If a wound site culture of a person treated for MRSA is still positive, then the bacteria are still present. If the nasal screen or wound site culture is negative, then MRSA is either not present or is present in numbers too low to be detected by the test.

Is there anything else I should know?
Further testing may be performed on MRSA bacteria when they are isolated in a culture. These additional research tests can identify the type and subtype of S. aureus strains. Although the typing may not be used to determine treatment of the patient, it provides information to track the pattern of disease spread of the infection and characterize the toxins and other virulence factors present in the bacteria.

Other Antibiotics Used To Treat Glycopeptide-Resistant MRSA

2010-12-03T00:43:00.000-08:00

MRSA is another name for the bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus, but has a developed a resistance to many practical beta lactam antibiotics. These antibiotics include methicillin, nafcillin, dicloxacillin, and oxacillin.
Teicoplanin and Vancomycin are known as “glycopeptide” antibiotics, in which are also commonly used to treat MRSA infections.Teicoplanin, similar to Vancomycin, works in the same methods to treat infection but has a longer halflife period. Intravenous methods are recommended when using these antibiotics, because oral administration generally takes an inconvienient amount of time for absorption into the body. Vancomycin can be used, but is normally avoided because it is difficult to use for treatment.

Recent studies have shown several MRSA strains are resistant to Teicoplanin and Vancomycin. Because of this, MRSA is showing its formidity and is certainly a growing concern for medical practitioners. These new strains of MRSA are called VISA strains, or Vancomycin intermediate resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Other Antibiotics Used To Treat Glycopeptide-Resistant MRSA:

Linezolid - a synthetic antibiotic in the oxazolidinone class, in which is used for treatment of infection caused by multi-resistant bacteria

Quinupristin/Dalfopristin - a combination of two antibiotics, in which is used to treat infection by Staph and by Enterococcus faecium bacteria that are resistant to Vancomycin

Daptomycin - a lipopeptide antibiotic that is used for treatment of infection caused by Gram Positive bacteria

Tigecycline - is used for treatment against many Gram Positive and Negative bacteria and Anaerobes

Rifampicin With Fusidic Acid - a bacterial antibiotic of the Rifamycin group, added to a bacteriostatic antibiotic that is often used to interfere with typical bacterial protien synthesis

Rifampicin Fluoroquinolone - another bacterial antibiotic of the Rifamycin group that works to kill bacteria by interfering with DNA replication

Pristinamycin - an antibiotic primarily used for treatment of Staphylococcal infection

Co-Trimoxazole (Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole) - a Sulfonamide antibacterial combination of Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim used to treat a variety of bacterial infections

Doxycycline/Minocycline - an antibiotic in the Tetracycline group that is commonly used for treatment of many infections

Clindamycin - commonly used for the treatment of infection by the use of Anaerobic bacteria

MRSA - Staph Unseen Latest Recent Updated New Pictures

2010-12-03T00:06:00.000-08:00

MRSA Staph infections are difficult to deal with because they are known to be a mutagen or “known to mutate”. Because of this they can quickly become dangerous and even deadly. Staph infections mostly occur in humans that are either very young or very old in age. Historically this form of staph has not been much of a threat because it was easily eliminated by the use of common antibiotics like penicillin. Overt time the virus has developed a resistance to these antibiotics. The resistance has only increased through the years and is noted as the cause of an irritating and harmful infection.

Pictures Of MRSA Staph Infection:

on the neck

Staph Infection On The Neck

On The Leg

Staph Infection On The Leg

On The Hand

Staph Infection On The Wrist

Staph Infection On The Hand

On The Open Skin

Staph Infection On The Skin

On The Shoulder

Staph Infection On The Shoulder

There are plenty of symptoms that occur when a mrsa staph infection has occurred. Symptoms can include cellulitis, or the swelling of skin, folliculitis, or the inflammation of one or more hair follicles, boils, or the accumulation of pus and inflammation of the skin, impetigo, or a bacterial skin infection, or styes, which are infections that occur on the eyelid. It is important to understand that these symptoms are not caused by staph, so it is best to consult your doctor if you feel that there is any possibility of a staph infection.

Staph bacteria are generally concentrated in the nose, or on the skin, making it very easy to pass around. Infections from Staph are contracted when the bacteria enters an opening of the skin, such as a cut or scrape. When you have an injury, it is always the best idea that you take the necessary precautions to avoid any complications with staph infection.

Risks of staph infections vary, because no single person lives the same lifestyle. Actions that can increase the risk of contracting a staph infection can include any recent or current hospitalization, residence at any long term health care facilities, use of medical instruments, and even antibiotics. Other actions that can increase the risk of contracting a staph infection include being young or elderly, playing contact sports, or living in areas that are crowded, or have unsanitary living conditions.

If you notice that you have a skin infection, such as a boil or a sore bump on the skin, chances are it is going to proceed to get worse as time goes on. If this infection is being caused by staph, it is important to take action before the infection gets to a point that may be health, or even life, threatening. Think of it this way: the more time that is taken to do something about a staph infection, the more time it is going to take to treat it.

MRSA Pictures - What Does Staph Infection Look Like?

What is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)?

2010-12-03T00:04:00.000-08:00

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. This organism is known for causing skin infections in addition to many other types of infections. There are other designations in the scientific literature for these bacteria according to where the bacteria are acquired by patients, such as community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA or CMRSA), hospital-acquired or health-care-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA or HMRSA), or epidemic MRSA (EMRSA). Statistical data suggest that as many as 19,000 people per year die from MRSA in the U.S.; current data suggest this number has declined by about 25%-35% in recent years, in part, because of prevention practices at hospitals and home care.

Although S. aureus has been causing infections (Staph infections) probably as long as the human race has existed, MRSA has a relatively short history. MRSA was first noted in 1961, about two years after the antibiotic methicillin was initially used to treat S. aureus and other infectious bacteria. The resistance to methicillin was due to a penicillin-binding protein coded for by a mobile genetic element termed the methicillin-resistant gene (mecA). In recent years, the gene has continued to evolve so that many MRSA strains are currently resistant to several different antibiotics such as penicillin, oxacillin, and amoxicillin (Amoxil, Dispermox, Trimox). HA-MRSA are often also resistant to tetracycline (Sumycin), erythromycin (E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, PCE, Pediazole, Ilosone), and clindamycin (Cleocin).

In 2009, research showed that many antibiotic-resistant genes and toxins are bundled and transferred together to other bacteria, which speed the development of toxic and resistant strains of MRSA. S. aureus is sometimes termed a "superbug" because of their ability to be resistant to several antibiotics.

What does a MRSA infection look like?

In addition, these organisms have been termed "flesh-eating bacteria" because of their occasional rapid spread and destruction of human skin. Additionally, a number of older (2004-2008) web and popular press articles are titled or include the erroneous term "MRSA virus." This is a misnomer that has confused many people; there is no contagious MRSA virus, and if readers examine these articles, they may realize the content is usually about MRSA bacteria.

Unfortunately, MRSA strains of bacteria can be found worldwide. In general, healthy people with no cuts, abrasions, or breaks on their skin are at low risk for getting infected. However, the bacteria can be passed from person to person by direct contact with infected skin, mucus, or droplets spread by coughs. Indirect contact also can spread the bacteria; for example, touching items like towels, utensils, clothing, or other objects that have been in contact with an infected person can spread the bacteria to other uninfected individuals. Investigators estimate that about one out of every 100 people in the U.S. are colonized with MRSA (have the organisms in or on their body but not causing infection) and these individuals may transmit MRSA bacteria to others by the same methods listed above.

What does a MRSA infection look like?

On the skin, MRSA infection may begin as a reddish rash with lesion(s) that looks like a pimple or small boil. Often it progresses to an open, inflamed area of skin (as pictured below) that may weep pus or drain other similar fluid. See the first web citation for more clinical MRSA pictures or see the MRSA slideshow site listed above.

Finding Solution to MRSA?

2010-12-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

What is MRSA?

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a bacterium responsible for severe infections in humans which are very difficult to manage, treat and contain.

Methicillin-resistant means the bacteria are not affected by the antibiotic, Methicillin which is used to treat them.

When the bacteria are treated with antibiotics some of them may survive. The surviving bacteria change (mutate) and then develop resistance to the antibiotic and this is how

MRSA bacteria have become immune to antibiotic treatment.

MRSA infection occurs when the bacteria break through the skin surface, enter the body and multiply.

Symptoms and MRSA Infection

The NHS reports that one in three of us carry the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on our skin or nose without developing an infection. This is termed as being ‘colonised by the bacteria’. People can carry the bacteria from hours and days to weeks and months and be completely unaware of it as it causes no harm, unlike those who become infected with MRSA.

Once the bacteria have entered the body; at the point of infection, MRSA symptoms will occur. Although these vary, generally redness and swelling will be present at the infection site.

Skin infections include boils, abscesses, sties, cellulitis and impetigo. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria entering the bloodstream can cause septicaemia, meningitis, pneumonia, endocarditis (infection of the heart lining), osteomylitis (infection of the bone marrow) and other severe and potentially life threatening infections.

Spread of MRSA

Infection is particularly problematic in hospitals as the bacteria have opportunity to enter the skin through wounds or invasive devices such as catheters.

Colonised patients can transfer the bacteria to a wound located on themselves. MRSA can spread through patients or staff being either colonised or contaminated and the super bug can then be transferred from patient to patient, through staff, equipment or simply by environment. Some strains of MRSA have transferred between hospitals and are known as epidemic MRSA or EMRSA for short.

MRSA is most common in hospitals (due to there being a point of entry for the bacteria, older, weaker and sicker people and a higher number of people so the bacteria can spread), it can occur anywhere. Indeed over recent years the number of MRSA outbreaks within the community has increased.

Additional factors which increase the risk of contracting MRSA include; participation in contact sports, sharing sports equipment, visiting public areas such as shopping centres, gyms and leisure centres, using public telephones and public transportation, low immunity, cancer, diabetes, sharing personal hygiene items, using hot tubs and poor skin hygiene. In addition to hospitals, living or working in close proximity to others such as in day care centres, prisons, homeless shelters, military quarters etcetera also increases the risk.

MRSA can survive on any surface or object for a long period of time as well as spreading through fabrics; clothing, towels, sheets etcetera.

Managing and restricting the growth and spread of MRSA

Antimicrobial solutions which inhibit the growth of bacteria are used to restrict and manage the spread of MRSA.

Since the epidemic of MRSA (EMRSA-15 and EMRSA-16) in the 1990’s, hospitals have introduced stricter measures to minimise the risk of MRSA infection spreading. Steps have include staff being meticulous in washing their hands and using antibacterial gel before and after coming into contact with patients and wearing disposable gloves and aprons. Visitors are also encouraged to wash their hands and use the antibacterial solutions provided. Surfaces and equipment are also now subjected to thorough cleaning with the use of antibacterial agents.

Applying antimicrobial solutions to surfaces, objects, fabric and clothing in all public places will work positively to eliminate the growth, spread and any future epidemic of MRSA.

Recent studies have shown that many antimicrobial solutions actually cause more harm than good as long term use causes a build up of the toxic chemicals in which they contain.

There is a strong need for an antimicrobial solution which not only inhibits the growth and spread of MRSA but importantly is non toxic to humans and spans the life of the product or surface to which it is applied.

MRSA Rates Underestimated

2010-12-02T23:58:00.001-08:00

Based upon what I've been hearing from many people with MRSA, I do believe MRSA rates are greatly underestimated. Many people contact me after receiving MRSA in a hospital, and they had no idea they were at risk until they found out they had MRSA. Sadly, many hospitals are rampant with MRSA. Of course, you can also get community acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA)from others in the community who have MRSA. CA-MRSA is more virulent than hospital acquired MRSA.

In a recent article on "Cleanlink", they report the following. According to the World of Building Service Contracting, a survey of infection prevention and control professionals conducted by The Association of Professionals in Infection Control (APIC) revealed that MRSA rates are eight times higher than previously estimated.

Today, MRSA accounts for over 60 percent of Staphylococcus aureus infections, a staggering increase over the two percent of all Staphylococcus aureus infections reported in 1972. In addition, the study found the death rate from MRSA infections is more than 2.5 times higher than non-MRSA infections.

Bee Propolis: Nature's Healing Balm With Immune Boosting Properties

2010-12-02T23:57:00.009-08:00

As we discuss in our resources on our Staph and MRSA website, one main reason people get MRSA is that their immune system is not functioning at it's best level. So, when working with MRSA, you want to boost the performance of your immune system. One great way we talk about is using natural products to do so.

Here's another article on Bee Propolis - a natural immune booster.

Bee Propolis: Nature's Healing Balm With Immune Boosting Properties

Wildflower Extracts Easily Kill MRSA Superbug

2010-12-02T23:57:00.005-08:00

Another great article on Naturalnews.com on June 6, 2008. Yet another great example of the many natural compounds available to us that are effective against bacteria.

Wildflower Extracts Easily Kill MRSA Superbug

MRSA Superbug Invades Public Schools as Conventional Medicine Ignores Natural Cures

2010-12-02T23:56:00.015-08:00

Another great article on MRSA by "Health Ranger" Mike Adams.

As I have talked about on my Staph infection website, this article discusses how MRSA (caused by the Staph aureus bacteria) already has many natural and effective treatments, it's just that pharmaceutical companies can't make money on natural medicines. Therefore, this information is kept a "secret" and it takes a lot of time for anyone to figure out the answers.

See here for Mike Adam's article.MRSA Superbug Invades Public Schools as Conventional Medicine Ignores Natural Cures

Also for natural and effective solutions to MRSA and Staph infections treatments be sure to check out www.staph-infection-resources.com.

The End of Antibiotics

2010-12-02T23:56:00.009-08:00

A new article by NaturalNews was recently posted on the end of the Antibiotic Era.

Eventually antibiotics are going to be seen as one of the worst things to ever come out of pharmaceutical science because in the end, they have made us only weaker in the face of ever increasingly strong super bugs that are resistant to all the antibiotics doctors have at their disposal.

Diseases include measles, scarlet fever, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, pneumonia, influenza, whooping cough, diphtheria and polio. All were in decline for several decades before the introduction of antibiotics or vaccines - Dr. Lawrence Wilson."

Let's get back to remembering the forgotten cures for bacterial diseases like MRSA. These cures were very successful before the advent of antibiotics. Purchase our ebook on the forgotten MRSA and Staph Infection Treatments, by going to www.Staph-Infection-Resources.com

To read the full article on the end of the antibiotic era, click here: The End of Antibiotics

French Volcanic Clay Kills Antibiotic-Resistant MRSA Superbug

2010-12-02T23:56:00.003-08:00

A new article out on Natural News.com (the Health Ranger) shows another natural product (not an antibiotic) that has been shown to kill MRSA.

I've heard of some people being told to "go roll around in the dirt" to get rid of their MRSA, and I've heard some reports of that working. I believe the effect was in "normalizing" their resident bacteria living on their skin. Just like in our digestive system, bacteria live in balance. Put more of the "good" guys in, and that will support your body being in balance.

In light of the last article posted on many soil bacteria eating antibiotics for breakfast, if you do work or play in the dirt and want to avoid more antibiotic resistant soil bacteria, a) make sure you're not anyway near feedlots areas where livestock are housed as bacteria in your soil will be more antibiotic resistant and b) don't place dirt in your skin infections!

Anyway, check out this article on a certain type of soil that MRSA is susceptible too. Many spas offer similar types of services now-a-days. Could be something worth looking into.

French Volcanic Clay Kills Antibiotic-Resistant MRSA Superbug

To purchase your copy of natural and effective MRSA Treatments, click here: www.Staph-Infection-Resources.com

Antibiotic Eating Bacteria and Staph SuperBugs

2010-12-02T23:55:00.007-08:00

See the full story at Antibiotic Eating Bacteria and Staph SuperBugs

I recently discovered an article in Mercola.com, a natural health website, discussing how Harvard researchers have found that hundreds of soil microbes literally eat antibiotics, and that they can thrive on antibiotics as their ONLY nutritional source. It turns out these many species of bacteria, some related to current SuperBug bacteria, can exist solely on antibiotics as their only food source.

Should you be worried about this new information?

See the full story at Antibiotic Eating Bacteria and Staph SuperBugs

Sources: ABC News April 3, 2008, Science April 4, 2008

Will I Get Better If I Have MRSA or Staph?

2010-12-02T23:55:00.003-08:00

See the full story at Will I get better if I have MRSA or Staph?

The number one question I hear from people handling MRSA infections is will I get better if I have MRSA? If you look at the MRSA statistics, it's easy to ask that question. The number one challenge people have with MRSA is recurring infections. People’s fears about getting better are well justified. In 2005, more people died from MRSA than from AIDS, and the numbers keep going up every year.

You've probably heard an earful from the news, your friends or your doctor about MRSA. Did you know that research is now showing that some bacteria (like MRSA) can actually go into hiding in your body when antibiotics are present? Read on to learn more about this serious and potentially life-threatening bacterial disease.

So, will I get better if I have MRSA? The answer is YES - IF you learn how to achieve long-term success with your infection. Antibiotics and other common treatments can bring you quick relief from your infection, but they do nothing to help you avoid recurring infections with MRSA in the long-term.

See the full story at will I get better if I have MRSA or Staph?

Greens for Immune System Health

2010-12-02T23:54:00.003-08:00

See the full story at: Greens for Immune System Health

My husband Les and I have known about pH balance for years and how important it is for our immune system health and preventing infections like MRSA and Staph. One of the biggest ways you can help your body with these infections is by improving your immune system and your pH balance. Unfortunately, the traditional American diet leaves many people in an "acidic" state - one that is prime for infectious bacteria to live in. So, look into eating more alkaline foods to help you boost your immunity and pH.

We’ve been eating a high pH (alkaline) diet for some time now with great results. But just last week, we learned about an exciting new way to get a lot more alkaline foods into our diets that's very simple and actually tastes great.

Most anyone who knows about pH knows that green leafy plants are some of the most alkaline or high pH foods on the planet. And greens are loaded with nutrients and minerals too. The trouble is, there are only so many salads and lettuce wraps that you can eat in a day before you start feeling more like a rabbit than a person.

But for the last few weeks, we’ve been eating a special recipe made with greens and have been pleasantly surprised by how much more energy and vitality we’ve already noticed. The recipe is very simple to prepare, tastes very good and is made with ingredients easy to find at the grocery store. This high pH recipe is one of the best dietary additions we have found to boost immune system health and help prevent infections.

The recipe is how to make yummy and nutritious green smoothies. You’re probably asking the question: how could a green smoothie possibly taste good? We felt the same way until we actually tasted one. But now we actually crave our green shakes and we're addicted to how good they make us feel.

Until a few weeks ago, we hadn’t heard much about greens, other than that they are “good” for you. We knew that greens were alkaline and nutritious, but we’d never heard much about their nutrition, how many we should be eating, or just why greens are so great. What we learned about greens has been nothing short of amazing – and I want to share with you what we discovered in more detail.

See how a simple green shake recipe can boost your immune system and help you prevent re-infections. Click on this link now to learn more: Greens for Immune System Health.

Handling MRSA with Naturopathy

2010-12-02T23:53:00.009-08:00

See the full story at: Handling MRSA with Naturopathy

I’m always amazed at how many people take what their doctor tells them as law and never even consider questioning their doctor’s conclusions or recommendations, especially when it comes to handling MRSA infections. It’s as if it would be disrespectful to even consider that their doctor might be wrong. Some people do question their doctor and even get a second opinion if they have a really important medical decision to make. But isn’t everything pretty important when it comes to your health?

Say you visit your family doctor because you think you have an MRSA infection and your doctor tells you “don’t be alarmed, it’s only a spider bite – I’ve seen two others this week that looked just like yours”. You could either submit to his “superior” knowledge and accept his spider bite diagnosis and treatment, or you could respectfully question his diagnosis and either insist on a bacterial culture test or go see another doctor.

Don’t get me wrong, I think doctors are great – most of them have dedicated their lives to helping people. Especially with MRSA and other infections, finding the right doctor can literally change the course of your infection and begin helping you almost overnight. I think most doctors genuinely strive to provide the best possible care that they can, based on what they know and what they think is best.

But what you know and what you think is best is dependant on your own personal experiences, beliefs and judgments, not on what’s really “true” of really “best”. Any of us that are human easily fall into the trap of thinking we know best, or that our way is the only way, including doctors. It takes humility and openness to consider the possibility that there are other options beyond the seemingly vast and all inclusive sphere of our personal knowledge and experience.

It’s refreshing to see more and more people being proactive with their infection and seeking the best information on handling MRSA. I’ve found that one of the best ways to be proactive and to safely explore other MRSA treatment options is with the help of a Naturopathic Doctor (N.D.). These trained medical professionals not only know a wide variety of effective alternative infection treatments, they are generally much more open to a proactive and participatory approach from their patients.

See if naturopathy is the right choice for you for preventing and handling MRSA. Click on this link: Handling MRSA with Naturopathy to learn more.

Hospitals Flush 250 Million Pounds of Expired Drugs Into Public Sewers Every Year

2010-12-02T23:53:00.003-08:00

I saw this in NaturalNews recently. On the topic of Antibiotic Resistance, it's no wonder we have SuperBugs like MRSA. Let alone doctors are prescribing antibiotics when they are often not necessary, and our beef and chicken are pumped full of antibiotics, we now have hospitals dumping millions of pounds of old and expired drugs into water every year. This all impacts our body and who's to say exactly how this will all pan out.

Michelle Moore
Microbiologist and Staph Researcher
Learn What Your Doctor Isn't Telling You About Your MRSA Infection

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(NaturalNews) The Associated Press (AP) estimates that hospitals and long-term medical care institutions across the United States are dumping 250 million pounds of pharmacologically active drugs directly into public sewer systems each year.

After adjusting for Minnesota's relatively low rate of prescription drug use and doubling the number to account for the greater waste typically produced by long-term care facilities, the AP concluded that at least 250 million pounds of drug waste and drug-contaminated packaging are thrown away each year. This includes expired or spoiled drugs, leftovers from too-large prescriptions, drugs that are prescribed but not needed, drugs that patients refuse to take or that are halted due to negative side effects, or drugs left over when patients die.

Dumping drugs into water is far from harmless, although the exact nature of the danger remains poorly understood. But scientists agree that drugs remain pharmacologically active even after disposal, and can have severe effects on humans and wildlife. Studies of wastewater near hospitals in Europe and the US have found higher concentrations of antibiotic resistant bacteria and of organisms with genetic mutations similar to those that can cause cancer in humans. Another study on antibiotics in the fluoroquinolone family, including best-seller ciproflaxin, found that these drugs could cause changes to bacterial DNA.

See full article here: Hospitals Flush 250 Million Pounds of Expired Drugs Into Public Sewers Every Year

Garlic - A Natural MRSA Treatment

2010-12-02T23:52:00.003-08:00

You may not be aware about this, but you likely have a very powerful ally against MRSA or Staph hiding in your kitchen. Garlic is not just another herb when it comes to using it for infections. Garlic has been scientifically proven to be a powerful natural antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal agent. Garlic has also been shown to kill highly resistant MRSA infections in human clinical studies.

Garlic was used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese to treat all types of infections, its use dating back over 5,000 years. As recently as World War II, garlic saved thousands of lives by protecting open wounds from getting infected. Even Louis Pasteur studied the strong antibacterial properties of garlic in 1858.

I think anytime we can find natural alternatives to antibiotics, we are doing ourselves and everyone else a favor. The more we all use antibiotics, the more we will have resistant superbug infections in our world. If you infection is not severe or critical, I believe you should use alternatives first to get your infection under control.

For our complete article on how garlic can be useful for addressing Staph and MRSA infections, click the blue link: Garlic - A natural treatment for MRSA Infections

Beaches may harbor staph bacteria: U.S. study | Reuters

2010-12-02T23:51:00.005-08:00

A new warning has been issued for beach goers. Caution is advised when swimming or sunbathing at the beach. Studies are showing that Staph and MRSA bacteria are "hanging out" in areas of warm sea water, like Florida for instance.

According to the study, people who swim in subtropical marine waters have a 37 percent higher risk of being exposed to staph bacteria, including an antibiotic resistant staph (MRSA) known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

Now, being a Microbiologist, I can tell you that Staph (and MRSA) are skin bacteria. They will be anywhere people "hang out". Whether it's the gym, the grocery store, or swimming pools or beaches. Staph and MRSA can survive for some time on surfaces (up to weeks) and can survive in water for some time, including swimming pools.

Your best advice to help avoid MRSA is to shower before and after entering any body of water (including swimming pools), and do not enter the water if you have any open cuts, sores or wounds.

And, please do not use the anti-microbial soaps - they are not proven to reduce pathogenic bacteria anyway, and they just harm your own body's good bacteria, thus making your MORE PRONE to MRSA.

Click below for the full article:
Beaches may harbor staph bacteria: U.S. study | Science & Health | Reuters

Michelle Moore
Microbiologist and Natural Health Advocate
Click Here for MRSA Infection Treatment Options

Gram-negative bacteria are drug-resistant superbugs to watch out for - CNN.com

2010-12-02T23:51:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, MRSA is not the only Superbug infection today. Bacteria are very crafty and can become resistant to antibiotics relatively quickly. Staph bacteria were showing resistance to Penicillin (the first commercial antibiotic) within a couple of years of the introduction of Penicillin.

Today, with antibiotic abuse or over-prescription of antibiotics (for colds and flu which are not caused by bacteria), over-use of antibiotics in the feed animal industry, and hospitals and pharmaceutical companies dumping tons of unused or expired drugs and antibiotics into the water supply, it's no doubt that we will see ever-increasing numbers of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

Gram-negative bacteria Superbugs are predominantly found in hospitals and can be and commonly infection patients who are already very ill, babies in ICU, very old patients, patients who've just had surgery, and burn patients in the ICU. And these gam-negative bacteria can enter the body by way of catheters, IVs, ventilators or wounds (like MRSA can).

It's plain to see that doctors are loosing ground when it comes to treating these Superbug with conventional antibiotics. For yourself and your family's sake, learn about ALL of the natural antimicrobial products that are available. I feel these will be required to survive the ever growing population of bacteria that will not respond to antibiotics.

Michelle Moore
Microbiologist, Scientist and Health Advocate
Author of "MRSA Secrets Revealed"
Click here for MRSA and Staph infection treatment solutions

For the full CNN article, click here: Gram-negative bacteria are drug-resistant superbugs to watch out for - CNN.com

Oprah and Dr Oz Air Show on Superbugs and MRSA

2010-12-02T23:49:00.000-08:00

Super bugs, flesh eating bacteria, Staph, MRSA, C. diff, Tuberculosis, antibiotic resistant bacteria. These words have been flying around the media lately, and they affect millions of people each year.

But what are they? What does it all mean? And what can you do to protect yourself and your family from these infectious bacteria?

Oprah and Dr. Oz Report
Oprah, with the help of Dr. Mehmet Oz M.D., recently aired a show solely devoted to help people understand more about the emergence of these Superbug infections. As Oprah and Dr. Oz discussed, superbugs have been seen in the news as "flesh eating bacteria" (also called necrotizing fasciitis), MRSA (short for the bacteria called Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus), C. diff (the bacteria Clostridium difficile) and "Staph" (short for the bacteria Staphylococcus).

Oprah also interviewed NBA all-star Grant Hill, who got MRSA in 2003.

Why are these Superbugs Growing?
As a Microbiologist, I'm all too familiar with rise of antibiotic resistance and the ever growing MRSA and Staph superbug epidemic. These superbug infections have unfortunately been largely created because of the overuse and abuse of antibiotics.

Ever been to your doctor with a head cold and they prescribed antibiotics? Antibiotics do not work for viral infections (like the cold and flu), but often doctors will prescribe them so we go home with medication and we "feel" better because we have a bottle of pills. Antibiotics are also misused, and abused by the livestock industry. These and many more factors have lead to this Super bug rise that is taking lives every day.

What Treatments work for Superbugs?
Because of the abuse of antibiotics, many of these bacteria have become resistant or immune to the effects of these antibiotics. There are even some superbugs that are immune to all antibiotics available right now. While some antibiotics still work for infections, people using antibiotics most often struggle with recurring infections they can't get rid of.

The growing inability of mainstream medicine to successfully treat Staph and MRSA infections is a source frustration, disappointment, fear, and even despair for hundreds of thousands of people suffering from these potentially deadly infections. - Microbiologist and Staph Researcher Michelle Moore

It is apparent that alternative solutions need to be found to protect ourselves and treat these infections. Even the CDC admits it's just a matter of time before antibiotics fail completely. Fortunately, there are many natural antimicrobials available that are very effective, and do not cause antimicrobial resistance. Many of these have been used safely by European doctors for decades. These plant and herb extracts are very safe and can be extremely effective against these superbug infections.

My new guidebook MRSA Secrets Revealed is the most comprehensive publication on prevention and treatment of MRSA and Staph infections available today. This resource is backed by months of research on what's been found to be effective for MRSA and Staph, and includes my knowledge and education as a Microbiologist and Scientific Researcher.
Learn more about it by clicking here: MRSA Secrets Revealed.

Be prepared and protect yourself and your family. Be armed with the knowledge, tools and resources available to you (many your doctor may not even know about) and you will have everything you need to prevent getting these superbug infections as well as how to stop recurring infections and regain your health.

Michelle Moore
Microbiologist, Scientist and Health Advocate
Author of "MRSA Secrets Revealed"
Click here for MRSA and Staph infection treatment solutions

Why Most MRSA Treatments Eventually Fail?

2010-12-02T23:47:00.001-08:00

More than 50% of people with MRSA suffer from recurring infections. No matter what MRSA treatment approach you use or how effective your MRSA treatment may be, stopping your current infection has little bearing on stopping the recurring infection cycle.

Surprisingly, many common MRSA treatment approaches actually promote recurring infections. Throughout all of my research, education and personal experience, I've found there are 3 steps you must take to end your MRSA infection for good. Read on to learn what the 3 steps are.

Click on the blue link to read my full article on 3 simple steps for successful MRSA treatment.

Be well,
Michelle
Microbiologist, Author and Researcher

Will Swimming Pools Kill MRSA?

2010-12-02T23:46:00.001-08:00

These are common questions I get fairly often.

Can I transmit MRSA to someone else in a swimming pool?

Can I get MRSA from a swimming pool?

Amazingly, I just heard from someone who has MRSA and apparently their doctor advised them to go into a swimming pool as the doctor said the pool will kill the MRSA on their body.

Is this good advice? Or not? Well, first of all, I'm not a doctor but I can share with you my research on this matter as well as my experience as a Microbiologist.

According to a recent study, swimming pools will kill MRSA and Staph bacteria in the water IF they are properly maintained. Now, let me break this down into some very important points.

First of all, it's generally advised to avoid using pools, spas, or whirlpools if you have open wounds. Most swimming pools have adopted policy's that do not allow people to enter the water with open wounds. You may have seen this policy at your local pool. This policy is used because there is a chance of transmitting bacteria to other people in improperly disinfected water. Therefore, if you have an active infection, I think it's wise to stay out of the water. You don't want to chance giving your infection to someone else and you don't want your open wound to become infected with more bacteria.

Secondly, yes, chlorine will kill MRSA and Staph at proper swimming pool or spa concentrations, but not all pools and spas are maintained at the proper levels of chlorine. There are many factors that come into play with maintaining proper levels of chlorine. And, there have been many instances, particularly with sporting teams where MRSA has been isolated from improperly maintained spas. And these improperly maintained spas have been implicated in transmitting MRSA from player to player (Kazakova et al. 2005). See below for CDC's guidelines on how to determine if your pool or spa is being properly maintained.

Thirdly, as a Microbiologist I know that swimming pools will not kill all of the bacteria on your skin. Swimming pools and spas have disinfectants like chlorine in them to disinfect the water. These levels are not high enough to kill all the bacteria on your body, nor should they be. It would be quite chemically-toxic to enter. Sure, some bacteria will probably die from your skin, but not all of them. And, as I've said before, it's important to remember that many of the bacteria living on your skin are there to protect you from "bad" bacteria. And, bacteria have many defenses including the formation of biofilms. Biofilms are like houses over the bacteria that help protect them from disinfectants and other threats.

In summary, swimming pools or spas will not cleanse your body of MRSA, Staph or any other bacterial skin infection. Chlorine in the pool is meant to reduce or eliminate free-floating bacteria and parasites that come off of people into the water, making the pool a safer environment for all. When pools and spas are maintained appropriately, they will kill MRSA and Staph bacteria in the water fairly quickly making it fairly unlikely for anyone to get MRSA from a pool (see article Tolba, O., et al. below). However, improperly maintained pools or spas have had MRSA isolated from them and they are suspect in transmitting MRSA from person to person.

Here's a neat little chart from the CDC with chlorine disinfection times for some common pool germs: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/chlorine_timetable.htm

The CDC has posted some great information about swimming pool and spa "health" and how you can better determine how well swimming pools and spas are maintained. You can learn more from the CDC about healthy swimming here: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/

Be well,

Michelle Moore
Microbiologist, Staph Researcher and Natural Health Advocate
Natural MRSA Treatment Options

References:

Tolba, O., et al., Survival of epidemic strains of healthcare (HA-MRSA) and community-associated (CA-MRSA) meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in river-, sea- and swimming pool water Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health (2007), doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2007.06.003 http://www.mrsa-net.nl/nl/files/file-bron-ant-10191-0-Tolba.pdf

Centers for Disease Control, Healthy Swimming: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/

Kazakova, S.V., Hageman, J.C., Matava, M., Srinivasan, A., Phelan, L., Garfinkel, B., Boo, T., McAllister, S., Anderson, J., Jensen, B., Dodson, D., Lonsway, D., McDougal, L.K., Arduino, M., Fraser, V.J., Killgore, G., Tenover, F.C., Cody, S., Jernigan, D.B., 2005. A clone of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus among professional football players. N. Engl. J. Med. 352, 468–475

What about Bleach for Killing MRSA?

2010-12-02T23:44:00.001-08:00

Linda wrote in this last weekend wondering if swimming pools can kill MRSA, what about bleach ? Below is my response...

As I mentioned previously, well maintained pools can kill MRSA, but it will be much slower to kill these bacteria than disinfectants will. Again, pools aren't meant to act as a harsh disinfectant like the ones that are commonly used in the kitchen or bathroom.

Now, a bleach solution you use in your home is typically made as a 10% solution of bleach in water. This "roughly" correlates to a .1% chlorine solution as compared to 3.9ppm (parts per million) chlorine as one would expect in a properly maintained pool. This makes a 10% solution of bleach you use for disinfecting MUCH MUCH more concentrated than any swimming pool. Thus, it will kill MRSA and Staph and other bacteria much more quickly.

However, something to be aware of is that chemical disinfectants like bleach (which contain chemical toxins) can have a negative effect on our immune systems. There are actually non-toxic cleaners and disinfectants that kill MRSA and other bacteria, but are safe to use around yourself, your children and your pets.

Another often critically overlooked issue when it comes to MRSA and Staph infections is that we come in contact with these bacteria EVERYWHERE. Not just the hospital. Not just the gym. They are everywhere. Many people carry MRSA bacteria and don't have symptoms. These bacteria get spread on doorknobs, shopping cart handles, cell phones, toys, etc and even through the air on dead skin cells. Anything that gets touched by people can very likely have MRSA.

I'm not spreading this to be alarmist, but these are the facts I know as a Microbiologist. Ultimately, one of your best defenses against these infections is your immune system. This is largely overlooked by medicine as a way to help prevent infection. What you eat, what you disinfect with, what you don't eat, your stress level and more can affect your immune system.

I have written about this key factor, as well as the many natural and effective antibiotics that are available for MRSA and Staph in my comprehensive manual MRSA Secrets Revealed. This manual addresses prevention, non-toxic cleaning, powerful natural treatment options, and steps to take that have helped people boost their immune system. You can more learn about this trusted and respected manual at www.staph-infection-resources.com .

MRSA Infection Research Results 2010-2011

2010-11-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

Which Countries in the World suffering with MRSA infection these days? And which countries spending the money on research to get rid of the MRSA infection issues.

Not sure how many of the people know about this kind of infection issues happening since last several years in USA UK Russia and other few countries.

Recently Pop King Michael Jackson also effected with the same kind of infection.

How many companies are participating in this infection

MRSA Infection Unseen Photos and Gallery with a Report

2010-11-15T02:56:00.000-08:00

Best Matches - Click a disease below to see additional images and learn more.

Folliculitis Folliculitis is a skin condition caused by an inflammation of one or more hair follicles in a limited area. It typically occurs in areas of irritation, such as sites of shaving, skin friction, or rubbing from…

Boils (Furunculosis) Boils (furuncles) are painful pus-filled bumps on the skin resulting from the deep infection of a hair follicle. The infection is usually caused by a type of bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus (staph).

Impetigo Impetigo is a common and contagious bacterial skin infection that is usually a minor problem, but sometimes complications may occur that require treatment. Complications related to impetigo can include deeper…

Cellulitis Cellulitis is an infection of the skin and is most often caused by the bacteria Streptococcus or Staphylococcus. These bacteria are able to enter the skin through small cracks (fissures), causing…

Abscess An abscess is an infection characterized by a collection of pus underneath a portion of the skin. Bacteria commonly causing abscesses are Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus. These bacteria…

MRSA - Understanding Staph Infections

2010-11-15T02:55:00.000-08:00

Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as "staph," is a bacterium that can live on a person's skin. In fact, approximately 20-30% of healthy people are staph carriers. These people are said to be "colonized" by the bacteria, but they are not considered to be ill with an infection. If a colonized person gets a cut on his or her skin, the bacteria can cause skin and soft tissue (ligaments, tendons, fat, and muscle) infections, such as cellulitis, abscesses, impetigo, folliculitis, and furunculosis. People who are not colonized but have a cut or scrape that is exposed to staph can also become infected.

Understanding MRSA and CA-MRSA

Excessive use of penicillin antibiotics over the years has led to the development of stronger strains of bacteria that are no longer killed by penicillin-type antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a strain of staph bacteria that is resistant to penicillin and standard penicillin-related antibiotics. MRSA causes the same types of infections as ordinary staph.

Though MRSA was previously known for being an infection found only in sick people in hospitals, it is now showing up in the general, healthy population. In some regions of the country, MRSA is the most common cause of skin and soft tissue infections. This type of staph infection, known as community-acquired, or community-associated, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), can be carried by healthy adults and children who do not have any symptoms. Carriers can get a skin or soft tissue infection with CA-MRSA, and non-carriers may get infected from exposure to staph from another person.

MRSA is spread by direct skin-to-skin contact, sharing personal items such as towels, razors, and clothing, and touching surfaces that are contaminated with MRSA. People who are at particular risk of developing MRSA are those who are in close contact with someone with a MRSA infection, have taken antibiotics during the past month, and have a history of a MRSA infection. Not surprisingly, this infection is common in places where people are in close contact, including schools, dormitories, military barracks, correctional facilities, and day-care centers.

Signs and Symptoms of MRSA

It is often difficult at first to tell the difference between an ordinary staph infection and CA-MRSA.

What are some symptoms of a staph skin infection?

* Red bump that may be pus filled (sometimes mistaken for a spider bite)
* Warmth
* Pain
* Swollen, red, tender skin lesions

If your doctor diagnoses you with a staph infection and you have minimal improvement in your symptoms after a few days, the infection may be a CA-MRSA infection. Signs that you may have a CA-MRSA infection include having the above symptoms coupled with:

* Little to no improvement with antibiotics after 2–3 days
* Rapid spread of the infection

Because CA-MRSA can be passed to others, it is important to follow these prevention tips:

* As a general rule, always maintain good hand-washing habits. This means washing with an antibacterial soap for at least 20 seconds while rubbing your hands together.
* Do not squeeze or attempt to drain any sore.
* Keep any wound covered and clean until it has fully healed.
* Avoid contact with others' wounds or bandages.
* Do not share personal items such as towels, razors, athletic equipment, sheets, clothes, etc.
* If you or a household member has a wound, wash your laundry in hot, soapy water, with bleach if possible, and dry these items in a hot dryer.

Treatment for MRSA

It is important to note that it is rare for any staph infection to become life threatening in a healthy person. While resistant to penicillin and penicillin-related antibiotics, most CA-MRSA infections can be successfully treated with many other antibiotics. Your doctor may prescribe one or more of the following antibiotics:

* Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim®, Septra®)
* Clindamycin (Cleocin®)
* Tetracyclines (such as doxycycline)
* Rifampin (Rifadin®)

It is important to finish all of the antibiotics, even if the infection appears to be healed. In some cases, especially if antibiotics are not working, your doctor may swab the wound to obtain a culture. This helps to specifically identify the bacteria and choose the correct antibiotics.

Your doctor may also drain the infection if there is pus under the skin. This is essential so that the infection can completely heal.

Symptoms of MRSA Infection & Symptoms of Staph Infection

2010-11-15T02:52:00.001-08:00

To answer the question what are the symptoms of Staph and what are the symptoms of MRSA, it is important to understand that most MRSA symptoms are identical to traditional Staph infection symptoms; MRSA is simply a type of Staph infection.

Common signs of MRSA infection and Staph infection symptoms staph infection as cellulitis

Staph infection symptoms of swelling and reddening at a vaccination site resulting in cellulitis.
Photo Credit: CDC/ Allen W. Mathies, MD, (Calif/EPO), Immunization Branch

The symptoms of MRSA and the symptoms of Staph are not only similar but are also commonly mistaken for other infections or spider bites. This makes proper diagnosis of either Staph infection symptoms or MRSA symptoms very important so you get the correct medical attention as soon as possible.

Please use this information as a helpful guide, not as a substitute for testing and confirming your condition with the help of your doctor. Only a professional bacterial culture test or bacterial DNA test can confirm if you have an MRSA infection or a Staph infection.

The most common visible MRSA symptoms are: bumps, pimple-like lumps, or blisters on the skin (these are also the symptoms of a Staph aureus infection in general). Lumps on the skin are often accompanied by swelling and reddening of the surrounding skin area. The center of the lump often has a white or yellow pus filled head, which sometimes drains on its own.

The lumps are often tender, itchy and warm to the touch and can become deep sores with increasing pain and swelling if left unchecked. The color of the surrounding skin area is often red to purple and may begin to spread as the infection progresses.

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MRSA and Staph infections are often diagnosed as causing one of the following conditions:

* Boils – Also called furuncles, boils are bumps with a pus filled head. If boils enlarge and grow together, they can form a multi-headed lump called a carbuncle. It is important that you do not try to lance or drain these on your own.
* Folliculitis – Similar to boils, Folliculitis is the deep infection of a hair follicle, usually less than a quarter inch in diameter, often surrounded by an area of inflamed red or pink skin.
* Impetigo – Crusty oozing bumps, blisters or lesions, usually yellow to red in color, that break open easily. Impetigo is common on the face and can spread easily to other parts of the body.
* Abscess – Pus filled cavities under the skin that rarely have a head or drain on their own. You can sometimes feel the fluid inside of an abscess if you press on it with your fingers. It is important that you do not try to lance or drain these on your own.
* Cellulitis – A deeper more serious infection with significant swelling, tenderness, deeper red color and increasing size. Sometimes red streaks on the skin may radiate out from the center of the cellulitis. Bumps and blisters may or may not be present with cellulites.

Staph infection symptoms and signs of MRSA infection can show up anyplace on your body but are more common in the following specific areas:

* Areas of clothing friction and irritation, such as the legs, buttocks and shaving areas
* Sweaty areas like armpits, neck, face, groin and feet
* Deeper infections like cellulitis are most common on the arms, hands, lower legs and face.

Spider Bite or MRSA?

2010-11-15T02:51:00.000-08:00

MRSA has branched out into the general population. It often infects people without warning, and is commonly mistaken as a spider bite.

MRSA skin infections are easily mistaken for a spider bite from the brown recluse spider. Photo Credit: CDC

MRSA and Staph infections can be easily mistaken for a brown recluse spider bite which can have a very similar appearance on your skin. Unless you saw a spider bite you, chances are good it's community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) instead.
According to Tom Frank, Pharm.D., B.C.P.S., an assistant professor of family and community medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, if you think it's a spider bite, get a culture test because what you are seeing is probably community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA).
According to Frank, of all the patients who believe they have a spider bite, "77 percent of patients presenting with soft-tissue infections are showing up with MRSA on culture."
If you believe you have a spider bite, consider visiting with your doctor or an infectious disease specialist (an I.D. doctor) to get a bacterial culture test to confirm what is causing your condition. To see pictures of Staph and to determine "what does MRSA look like", see images below.

When To See Your Doctor

If your infection does not go away after a few days, if it begins spreading, or if symptoms such as pain, fever or chills develop, consider seeing your doctor as soon as possible.

Did you know that taking antibiotics can
double your chances of getting MRSA?

Not all MRSA or Staph infections will require antibiotics, but some will. And, some strains of MRSA are now resistant to all antibiotics. Using the incorrect antibiotic can increase your chances of MRSA. Antibiotics should be used prudently, as their overuse and misuse has created antibiotic-resistant Superbugs like MRSA. Speak with your doctor if antibiotics are necessary or not and consider using Natural or Alternative methods alone or together with your antibiotics to improve your chances of beating your infection.

If you think you have Staph or MRSA, don't take chances with your health... become informed. Rates of Staph and MRSA infections are greatly underestimated and are spreading quickly. Even healthy people are catching these potentially deadly infections. And, Staph and MRSA are becoming resistant to many of the antibiotics available. Click here to learn what your doctor isn't telling you and discover ALL of the options available to you.

MRSA Unseen and New Pictures, Staph Infection Pictures

2010-11-15T02:49:00.000-08:00

Staph infection pictures - Staph on back	Staph infection on tattoo
Pictures of Staph - Staph impetigo	Staph infection
Pictures of Staph - Staph infection on wrist	What does MRSA look like? MRSA infection
MRSA Pictures - MRSA on hand	MRSA Photos - MRSA close up
MRSA on knee	Staph infection as impetigo on face
Pictures of Staph- Staph infection as Impetigo	Furunculosis
Furunculosis as MRSA staph infection	Folliculitis
Folliculitis

MRSA Unseen and New Pictures, Staph Infection Pictures

MRSA Superbug Found on Public Beaches

2010-11-14T10:02:00.001-08:00

Public beaches may provide a home for and mechanism for the spread of the superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Washington and presented to the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

"Our results suggest that public beaches may be a reservoir for possible transmission of MRSA," lead researcher Marilyn Roberts said.

MRSA is a drug-resistant form to the common Staph infection that can lead to severe and even lethal side effects if left untreated. Once a problem largely confined to hospitals, MRSA has spread beyond health care settings in recent years. This new prevalence, combined with its evolved ability to infect healthier people, has led to a situation where MRSA now kills more people in the United States each year than AIDS.

Researchers tested 10 public beaches on the Puget Sound and identified 13 different varieties of Staph bacteria spread over nine of them. Seven of these varieties were multidrug resistant. Five of the MRSA samples appeared most similar to hospital varieties, suggesting that some form of contamination was responsible for their presence.

People may be infected with Staph bacteria without developing symptoms. These carriers can in turn infect others. Carriers may have been responsible for the two MRSA varieties that did not appear to come from hospitals, but the researchers could not be sure.

Roberts said that the MRSA probably entered the beaches due to environmental contamination.

"Where all of these organisms are coming from and how they're getting seeded (on the beaches) is not clear," she said. Two beaches tested in southern California were not contaminated.

Nevertheless, the method of sampling that Roberts and colleagues used is not likely to capture every different Staph variety at a given beach.

"The fact that we found these organisms suggests that the amount is much higher than we previously thought," she said.

Sources for this story include: www.usatoday.com.

"Is MRSA Infection Danger Than AIDS? - More News Updates"

2010-11-14T09:59:00.001-08:00

An antibiotic-resistant strain of the common staph bacteria is now responsible for more deaths in the United States than AIDS, according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "This is a significant public health problem" said CDC medical epidemiologist Scott K. Fridkin. "We should be very worried."

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a variant of a common bacteria species that normally causes easily-treated staph infections. While staph infections are not usually life-threatening, if untreated they can cause wounded flesh to necrotize (die), leading to painful and disfiguring abscesses. In severe cases, the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body, such as joints, bones, lungs, blood or other vital organs. This can cause potentially fatal complications, and patients so infected must be given intensive care immediately.

Because MRSA is resistant to all first-line antibiotics, it is far more dangerous than the easily treated varieties of the bacterium. And according to the CDC, MRSA infection is becoming more common.

Researchers analyzed data from nine states and concluded that 31.8 out of 100,000 U.S. residents are being infected by MRSA each year, leading to 94,360 infections and 18,650 deaths across the country. This is in comparison to 12,500 deaths from AIDS in 2005, and represents more infections than meningitis, bacterial pneumonia and flesh-eating strep put together.

"This indicates these life-threatening MRSA infections are much more common than we had thought," Fridkin said.

The CDC says that MRSA infections are most common among children and the elderly, and more common among blacks than among members of other ethnic or racial groups.

Prior studies on MRSA have concluded that health care providers could significantly reduce the spread of the disease by implementing stricter hygiene measures. Outbreaks of MRSA in prisons, schools, and other institutions have also become increasingly common.

"MRSA outbreaks are entirely the fault of the conventional medical community, which has actually encouraged the breeding of the bacteria through rampant overuse of antibiotics," said consumer health advocate Mike Adams. "The rest of the story is that MRSA is easily killed by colloidal silver, garlic, rainforest herbs and numerous other natural remedies, but the entire conventional medical community continues to pretend these substances don't exist. Thus, they refuse to embrace the actual cures for MRSA, and thousands of people are dying each year as a result. This medical catastrophe will continue for as long as doctors remain ignorant about the curative powers of natural remedies while remaining foolishly limited to the use of patented pharmaceuticals to treat all infections," Adams said.

"Child deaths from flu + MRSA: CDC confirmation"

2010-11-14T09:57:00.001-08:00

It's been an exciting few weeks at Casa Superbug. I'll spare you the details — most of them are both grueling and trivial — but out of the murk, here is a piece of excellent news: SUPERBUG has been edited, revised and sent back to the publisher, who has sent it into production. Yes, it's actually beginning to become a book. There are many more steps to go, but it it is finally, really on its way.

Meanwhile, there is a ton of MRSA news to catch up on, which I will roll out over the next week or so. First: For those of you who don't read the CDC's weekly bulletin (called the MMWR, for Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It's the best-read magazine you've never heard of. It's free. Go already), there was an important and disturbing report last Friday, reporting the case details of children who have died from H1N1 flu.

As of August 8, the CDC said, 477 people had died in the US from H1N1, and 36 of them were children and teenagers. Out of those 36:

* 7 were younger than 5
* 24 had at least one high-risk medical condition, many of them neurological (developmental delay, cerebral palsy) or pulmonary; 12, or one-third, did not
* 23 had some pathologic analysis done during their illness or after their deaths
* 10 had bacterial co-infections
* of those 10, 5 had staph infections
* 3 of the staph infections were MRSA.

Let's bring the first and last terms of that equation together: 36 children; 3 known MRSA infections. Though it could be an underestimate (because 13 children had no pathology done), that is a non-trivial 8%.

The report splits the data on the child deaths a number of different ways, and reveals details that are important to note. Six of the bacterial infections (four staph) were in children older than 5 who did not have any underlying conditions; they were healthy, normal kids before developing flu. Of the 7 kids younger than 5, 2 had a bacterial infection; again, neither child had a high-risk condition.

How worrisome are these numbers? It's hard to say with precision, but they are certainly not good news. The CDC has only been counting child deaths from flu for a few years, and the totals they have come up with are very variable: 153 in 2003-04, 47 in 2004-05, 46 in 2005-06 and 73 in 2006-07. But, important point: Those deaths were during the regular flu season, which goes from roughly October to March. These new deaths occurred between late April and early August, when there is not supposed to be any flu. What this will mean for this fall and winter, when H1N1 will still be around, and may co-circulate with seasonal flu, no one yet can say.

For our purposes, the most important point is that lethal MRSA co-infections are now confirmed to be happening in the setting of H1N1 flu. And, as the CDC paper notes, these infections happened in children who would not have been expected to have a tough course, because they had no underlying high-risk conditions:

This report also highlights the prominence of laboratory-confirmed bacterial coinfections, which were identified in 10 (43%) of the 23 children who had culture or pathology results reported. All six children who were aged ≥5 years, did not have a high-risk medical condition, and had culture or pathology results reported had an invasive bacterial coinfection, suggesting that bacterial infection, in combination with 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, can result in severe disease in children who might be otherwise healthy. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for severe bacterial coinfections among children diagnosed with influenza and treat accordingly.

Obviously those of us who are concerned about MRSA and the potential for MRSA pneumonia alongside flu have been worried about this (long archive of posts here). If there is any good news in the sad saga of these deaths, it is that the CDC has confirmed that MRSA pneumonia in H1N1 flu is a real and dangerous possibility.

So if you are concerned about this, first, bookmark the MMWR report, because it will be something to show to a physician if necessary. And second, keep in mind the potential for pneumonia if you have a young child who contracts H1N1. I am not suggesting being alarmist; if H1N1 circulates widely, doctors and ERs will be overwhelmed, and we should try not to add to their case load unless really necessary.

But on the other hand, if a child has chest pain or breathing difficulty, don't hold back. There are online tools such as this one by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta that can help a worried parent assess whether and when a child with flu should be taken to the ER. If you click through its steps, you'll see that breathing difficulties and the possibility of pneumonia are things that it takes seriously, and so should we.

"New and Recent News on MRSA and Animals"

2010-11-14T09:56:00.001-08:00

Constant readers, I've been behind the Great Firewall of China for two weeks, unable to post. (Apparently Blogger is not always unavailable there, but access has tightened up in advance of the National Day celebrations on Oct. 1.) I left with a file of things to post in my spare time — and so now we're way behind, with lots to catch up on.

Latest news first, though. A few days ago, an intriguing conference was held in London: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococci in Animals: Veterinary and Public Health Implications. It was co-sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, and it was the first conference ever convened to examine the behavior in animals of MRSA and other staph species, including our old friend, ST398.

I have the abstracts (which have not otherwise been published), and wow, there was a ton of news.

Here's the biggest: An investigation by a team at University of Iowa (the same group that first identified ST398 in pigs and pig farmers in the United States) found significant amounts of MRSA in pigs and in human workers on 4 out of 7 conventional farms, but no MRSA on 6 organic farms. MRSA was present — as a colonizing organism, not causing illness — in 23% of the 168 pigs sampled on the conventional farms, and 58% of 45 humans who worked on those farms. "These results suggest a significant number of U.S. swine may be colonized with MRSA, adding to the concern about domestic animal species as a reservoir of this bacterium," the abstract says. "Furthermore, occupational exposure to these colonized pigs may spread the bacteria from the farm to the community via a high number of colonized swine workers." (Author: Abby L. Harper, MPH, University of Iowa)

A partial list of the other findings announced:

* MRSA ST398, which emerged as an animal and human pathogen in the Netherlands, is now causing human colonization and illnesses in other countries. Denmark, which like the Netherlands has a very low background rate of MRSA, has detected 109 cases since 2003, 35 of them with actual infections. Two of the infections were very serious: one pneumonia in a newborn baby, and one septic arthritis in an adult that led to sepsis and multi-organ failure. (J. Larsen, National Centre for Antimicrobials and Infection Control, Denmark)

* Meanwhile, the Netherlands — which conducts routine screening for MRSA carriage on hospital admission — has seen its annual count of MRSA detections rise from 16 per year between 2002 ad 2006 to 148 per year between 2006 and 2008, with 81% of the current cases due to ST398. (M. Wulf, PAMM Laboratory, the Netherlands) UPDATE: Coilin Nunan of the Soil Association in the UK corrects me (thanks, Coilin!): This study covers only the southeastern pig-farming areas, or about 40% of the MRSA cases in the country.
* MRSA ST398 spreads from infected to uninfected pigs during transport to slaughterhouses and while being held at slaughterhouses. (E. M. Broens, Wageningen University, the Netherlands)

* More than 15% of slaughterhouse workers who handle live pigs — but none of those who handled pig carcasses after slaughter — were carrying MRSA 398, and 25% of environmental samples such as dust taken from different parts of slaughterhouses were carrying the organism as well. (B. A. van Cleef, RIVM [National Institute for Public Health and the Environment], the Netherlands)

* Along with the pig-origin ST398, recognized human strains of MRSA can also colonize pigs, according to a study on one Norwegian farm, but human strains are less successful at persisting in pigs and tend to die out after months. (M. Sunde, National Veterinary Institute, Norway)

* Animal-origin MRSA is rising in China, the world's largest producer of pork, but the problematic strain there is ST9, not ST398. That MRSA strain was found on 5 out of 9 farms in Sichuan province in mainland China, and in 33.5% of 260 pigs slaughtered in Hong Kong, where more than 90% of pork comes from the mainland. (J. A. Wagenaar, Central Veterinary Institute, the Netherlands; and M. V. Boost, Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

* And an intriguing finding for those concerned about humane slaughter methods: Broiler chickens were significantly more likely to carry MRSA, and transmit it to slaughterhouse workers, if they were killed by the traditional method of electrical shock followed by throat-slitting, and less likely to carry or transmit the bug if they were killed by carbon dioxide asphyxiation, which has been held out as a more humane method of killing. (M. N. Mulders, RIVM [National Institute for Public Health and the Environment], the Netherlands)

"MRSA Superbug Found in Raw Pork - More Updates and Recent News 2011"

2010-11-14T09:54:00.001-08:00

An investigation by KOMO-TV in Seattle, in partnership with Fisher Broadcasting stations across the region, found the super bug, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), in 3 packages of ground pork bought at grocery stores in California, Oregon and Idaho. They purchased a total of 97 packages of ground pork and pork cutlets and sent them to a USDA certified lab in Seattle for testing.

This investigation was undertaken after one local young man died of MRSA pneumonia and another lost a leg to MRSA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has resisted testing pork for MRSA according to KOMO. Although the findings are ominous there is no way to know if these 2 young men contracted MRSA from raw pork. This multi-drug resistant bacterium already kills more people in the US than AIDS. MRSA was once a problem only in institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes, but it is now increasingly diagnosed as "community acquired" meaning the patient was infected out in the community, not in an institution. MRSA is a multi-drug resistant superbug. Infections are extremely difficult to eradicate and MRSA pneumonia and sepsis have close to a 50% fatality rate.

"It all starts with just one bacterium which you cannot see with your naked eyes," said Dr. Mansour Samadpour, an expert bacterial microbiologist with IEH Laboratories where the testing was conducted. The USDA refuses to conduct testing although pigs are known to carry MRSA and a particularly virulent strain was discovered in pigs during a study conducted by the University of Iowa. "MRSA is a very different kind of bacteria," said Dr. Rebecca Goldburg, a biologist with Keep Antibiotics Working.
"As far as I`m concerned, the USDA and FDA are kind of asleep at the wheel on this one."

Canada and several European countries already test for MRSA in pork in grocery stores. KOMO investigators contacted the USDA with their findings and were informed again that there are no plans for testing. Both the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration were also contacted with the results. The FDA says they have started a small pilot study of raw meat in Washington, D.C., but they don`t have any results yet and don`t know when the study will be finished. This is something that can be screened for to keep the public protected. Is this not the purpose of the USDA, CDC and the FDA?

The National Pork Board just began testing pork in retail markets. Their study won`t be finished until around April 2009, but their preliminary results are similar to KOMO`s: about a three percent positive rate for MRSA. The Pork Board said MRSA is a priority, but they don`t know if it`s a risk to you. Although all these studies have indicated MRSA in the pork, the tests are so sensitive that there is no way of quantifying just how contaminated the meat is, whether it is teeming with MRSA or just has a few. However, remember, it just takes one to cause an infection.

Although most people believe that cooking meat well eliminates any chance of infection, this is untrue for MRSA because it can cause skin infections, unlike E-coli or salmonella. A person can become colonized or infected simply by touching an object contaminated with MRSA. Touching your nose or having an abrasion on your hands while preparing raw pork could potentially lead to colonization or outright infection. Colonization means the bacterium is present, but not causing any problems. Colonization of the nose and skin greatly increases your risk of an actual MRSA infection. MRSA infections range from hard to heal boils to life threatening pneumonia, sepsis (bacteria in the blood) and joint infections.

Canada has also reported contamination of ground pork and pork chops across the country. Just under 10% of ground pork and pork chops tested positive for MRSA, while there was no contamination of pork roasts. Canada began researching contamination of pork with MRSA after discovering MRSA in pigs in Ontario. Dr. Scott Weese, a veterinarian based at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, is investigating the cause of the dramatic increase in community acquired MRSA in Canada. He stated: "My main concern is: if there`s MRSA on the surface of a pork chop and someone`s handling it and then they touch their nose, could they transmit it from the pork chop to their nose?" Although the investigators found nearly 10% of pork contaminated, he says that it is too soon to draw conclusions as to its role in the increase in community MRSA infections.

The Netherlands found MRSA in raw chicken in 2005 so the problem may not be limited to pork. Should you choose to continue to purchase pork, especially ground pork, make sure you use all safe food-handling practices such as defrosting in the refrigerator, not leaving raw meat at room temperature and washing your hands well with hot soapy water after handling. Besides the usual precautions, do not handle raw pork at all if you have cuts or abrasions on your hands. Always wear gloves when handling raw pork as tiny abrasions, especially around fingernails often go unnoticed. Buy range-fed meat from local farmers and avoid grocery store meat whenever possible.

Swimming May Be Route for MRSA Exposure

2010-11-14T09:53:00.001-08:00

(NaturalNews) A simple swim at the beach may expose people to the potentially deadly bacteria known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Miami and presented at the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago.

"Staphylococcus are shed by individuals into the waters and if you do go into these waters you are likely to be exposed," lead researcher Lisa Plano said.

Researchers recruited 1,303 volunteers to visit a beach far away from any sewage outlets, and instructed half of the participants to sit on the beach for 15 minutes. The other participants were instructed to go out into the ocean and collect water samples in sterilized jugs. The researchers then analyzed the water in the jugs, finding that 37 percent of water samples contained at least one strain of S. aureus. Three percent of S. aureus samples were antibiotic resistant strains, or MRSA - meaning that as many as one percent of swimmers are being exposed to MRSA.

"The majority of the isolated MRSA were those likely to be of the more aggressive variety," Plano said. "This exposure might lead to colonization or infection by water-borne bacteria, which are shed from every person who enters the water."

The researchers believe that the bacteria entered the water after being shed from the skin of swimmers. As many as 40 percent of people may be carriers of MRSA without becoming sick, as the bacteria only tends to cause infections when it enters deep wounds.

The study does not mean that going swimming at the beach is dangerous, Plano said, but she did recommend that all swimmers shower both before and after entering the water. This should help slough off any bacteria on the surface of the skin, thus preventing carriers from contaminating the water and others from becoming infected.

Sources for this story include: www.guardian.co.uk.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA); Hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA)

2010-11-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

MRSA is caused by a strain of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. S. aureus is a common type of bacteria that normally lives on the skin and sometimes in the nasal passages. MRSA refers to S. aureus strains that do not respond to the antibiotics normally used to cure staph infections.

The bacteria can cause infection when they enter the body through a cut, sore, catheter, or breathing tube. The infection can be minor and local (for example, a pimple), or more serious (involving the heart, blood, or bone).

Serious staph infections are more common in people with weak immune systems. This includes patients in hospitals and long-term care facilities and those receiving kidney dialysis.

MRSA infections are grouped into two types:

* Healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) infections occur in people who are or have recently been in the hospital. Those who have been hospitalized or had surgery within the past year are at increased risk. MRSA bacteria are responsible for a large percentage of hospital-acquired staph infections.
* Community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections are ones that occur in otherwise healthy people who have not recently been in the hospital. The infections have occurred among athletes who share equipment or personal items (such as towels or razors) and children in daycare facilities. Members of the military and those who get tattoos are also at risk. The number of CA-MRSA cases is increasing.

Staph skin infections cause a red, swollen, and painful area on the skin. Other symptoms may include:

* Drainage of pus or other fluids from the site
* Fever
* Skin abscess
* Warmth around the infected area

Symptoms of a more serious staph infection may include:

* Chest pain
* Chills
* Fatigue
* Fever
* General ill feeling (malaise)
* Headache
* Muscle aches
* Rash
* Shortness of breath

Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may recommend the following tests to detect and confirm the bacteria causing the infection:

* Blood culture
* Culture of the drainage (fluid) from the infection
* Skin culture from the infected site
* Sputum culture
* Urine culture

Draining the skin sore is often the only treatment needed for a local skin MRSA infection. This can be done at the doctor's office.

More serious MRSA infections, especially HA-MRSA infections, are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. Antibiotics that may still work include:

* Clindamycin
* Linezolid (Zyvox)
* Tetracycline (doxycycline)
* Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Bactrim DS, Septra, Septra DS)
* Vancomycin (Vancocin, Vancoled)

It is important to finish all doses of antibiotics you have been given, even if you feel better before the final dose. Unfinished doses can lead to further drug resistance in the bacteria, or can cause an infection that seemed to be cured to return.

Other treatments may be needed for more serious infections. The person will be admitted to a hospital. Treatment may involve:

* Fluids and medications given through a vein
* Kidney dialysis (if kidney failure occurs)
* Oxygen

For more information about MRSA, see the Centers for Disease Control web site: www.cdc.gov.
Back to TopOutlook (Prognosis)

How well a person does depends on the severity of the infection and their overall health. MRSA-related pneumonia and blood poisoning are associated with high death rates.
Back to TopPossible Complications

Serious staph infections may lead to:

* Blood poisoning (sepsis)
* Cellulitis
* Infection of the heart valves (endocarditis)
* Pneumonia
* Toxic shock syndrome

Organ failure and death may result from untreated MRSA infections.
Back to TopWhen to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your health care provider if:

* A wound seems to get worse rather than heal
* You have any other symptoms of staph infection

Careful attention to personal hygiene is key to avoiding MRSA infections.

* Wash your hands frequently, especially if visiting someone in a hospital or long-term care facility.
* Make sure all doctors, nurses, and other health care providers wash their hands before examining you.
* Do not share personal items such as towels or razors with another person -- MRSA can be transmitted through contaminated items.
* Cover all wounds with a clean bandage, and avoid contact with other people’s soiled bandages.
* If you share sporting equipment, clean it first with antiseptic solution.
* Avoid common whirlpools or saunas if another participant has an open sore.
* Make sure that shared bathing facilities are clean.

"MRSA / Drug Resistance News and Latest Study Releases on MRSA Infection"

2010-11-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

Significant Drop In MRSA Infections In USA, Estimated 28% In Hospital And 17% Fall In Community Acquitted Infections

Experts from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) report that MRSA infections have dropped significantly in the USA over the last four years. Researchers examined data from 2005 through to the end of 2008 of nine American metropolitan areas. They reveal that health care-associated invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections fell among patients with infections that began in the community or in the hospital>

You can read about this in more detail in an article in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association).

It is estimated that 1.7 million health care associated infections are closely linked to about 99,000 deaths in US hospitals every year.

Why is MRSA a concern?
MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The term is used to describe a number of strains of the bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, that are resistant to a number of antibiotics, including methicillin. Staphylococcus aureus is a group of bacteria that live on the surface of people's skin and inside the nose. It is normally harmless: most people who are carrying it are totally unaware that they have it. In fact, it is thought that up to 30% of the general UK population carries these bacteria in their nose or on their skin. This group of bacteria can be spread quite easily from person to person through contact.

Problems occur if Staphyloccocus aureus bacteria are able to enter the body through a cut or wound.

Most healthy people have strong immune systems and are able to fight off a Staphylococcus aureus infection themselves and have only mild symptoms. However, people with weakened immune systems (for example due to other illnesses) or who have undergone sugery (for example heart surgery or hip replacement) can develop more serious problems. In more vulnerable people, Staphyloccocus aureus bacteria have been known to cause boils, abscesses, impetigo, septic wounds, heart-valve problems and toxic shock syndrome. In extreme cases, it can result in death.

People with weakened immune systems who have been infected with Staphylococcus aureus require treatment with antibiotics to help clear the infection. The concern with MRSA strains of bacteria is that they are resistant to a number of the antibiotics that are normally used to treat Staphylococcus aureus infections.

The latest study

Alexander J. Kallen, M.D., M.P.H., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, and team used a population-based surveillance system to assess the occurrence of invasive health care-associated MRSA infections from 2005 through 2008 in nine metropolitan areas covering a population of approximately 15 million individuals.

"Knowledge Gaps, Fears Common Among Parents Of Children With Drug-Resistant Bacteria"

2010-11-14T09:46:00.001-08:00

Knowledge gaps and fear some of it unjustified are common among the caregivers of children with a drug-resistant staph bacterium known as MRSA, according to the results of a small study from the Johns Hopkins Children Center. These caregivers thirst for timely, detailed and simple information, the researchers add.

The study's findings, published online in The Journal of Pediatrics, underscore the need for healthcare staff to do a better job in educating parents, while also addressing concerns and allaying fears, the investigators say.

"What these results really tell us is not how little parents know about drug-resistant infections, but how much more we, the healthcare providers, should be doing to help them understand it," says senior investigator Aaron Milstone, M.D., M.H.S., a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Hopkins Children's.

Conducting bedside interviews with 100 parents and others caring for children hospitalized with new or established MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the investigators found that nearly one-fifth (18 of the 100) had never heard of MRSA. Some of the children in the study were symptom-free carriers who were hospitalized for other reasons, while others had active MRSA infections. This increasingly common antibiotic-resistant bacterium causes skin and soft-tissue infections in healthy people, but can lead to invasive, sometimes fatal, infections in seriously sick patients and in those with weak immune systems.

To prevent the spread of MRSA to other patients, Hopkins Children's in 2007 began screening all children admitted to its intensive-care units. They are then screened weekly until discharge.

In the study, 29 of the 100 caregivers said they didn't know that their child had MRSA, but only nine of these cases involved newly identified cases, meaning that 20 children had been diagnosed with MRSA during past hospitalizations, yet parents and guardians were unaware. Investigators said the caregivers expressed frustration and confusion with the delayed revelation, a finding showing the importance of promptly communicating any and all new information to parents and doing so in plain language.

Among the 71 caregivers who knew of their child's MRSA diagnosis, 63(89 percent) revealed concerns, 55 (77 percent) worried about subsequent MRSA infections, and more than half (36) worried about their child spreading MRSA to others. Widespread uncertainty existed among them about whether to share the news with the child's school, primary-care pediatrician or home nurse. Some parents said they didn't understand the difference between having an active infection and being a carrier.

Eleven of the 71 (16 percent) caregivers said their child's MRSA diagnosis would lead to social stigma, fearing isolation both by friends and at school.

To help address these fears, physicians and nurses caring for children with MRSA should ask parents repeatedly if they have lingering concerns or questions, the researchers note. And they should take extra care to relieve worries among parents about future infections in the child or the fear of their child spreading MRSA to others. This can be done by putting the risks in perspective and by giving clear, specific risk-minimizing instructions tailored to each child's situation and health

"MRSA Treatment - Best Tips, Advices and Suggestions"

2010-11-14T09:44:00.001-08:00

How is MRSA treated?
There are 4 key treatments that are commonly used.

When colonised
For those who are colonised but not infected - a nasal treatment and a skin wash. This is often the strategy when MRSA is rare or prior to an operation, as a means of preventing infection. Where MRSA is common some doctors will not suggest the nasal treatment as many will be infected by others within the local community within days or months. Some deep seated - throat and intestine - colonisation may require drug treatment.

For bloodstream infection
For those who have a potential or active bloodstream infection - drugs such as Vancomycin, Linezolid or Daptomycin.

For common skin infections
For many with simple skin infections, often resulting from community acquired MRSA, doctors will simply incise and drain the wound and suggest antibiotic treatment, often with bactrim.

Wound treatment
For those with infected wounds - special honey, silver bandages, garlic preparations and tea tree oil are all believed to be effective in killing MRSA in a wound.

"MRSA Treatment - A Simple Guide How to Prevent"

2010-11-14T09:43:00.001-08:00

How can you get rid of this infection? A anti bacteria soap like Hibiclens can help remove the bacteria from your skin.

Special nasal creams can be used in you nose, where staph bacteria often hides. (Some doctors will not prescribe the nasal cream unless you are about to have an operation because overuse would make it drug resistant. They also worry that you’ll catch it again any way within weeks within the community.)

Drugs such Linezolid or Vancomycin dampen down or kill your bloodstream infection if MRSA has entered a wound. Bactrim is often used for those with the community strains. Some strains need different drugs so ask for information about which strain you have.

"Will sex mean my partner could catch MRSA"

2010-11-14T09:42:00.003-08:00

Highly likely. Skin contact is going to mean bacterial transfer of MRSA during sex. It’s worth remembering the 35% staph aureus statistic however. We’re all likely to be around people with some dormant staph potential - so sex with an MRSA carrier is slightly more risky because it is harder to treat.

The major caution is that if you or your partner has major health vulnerabilities or current wound special care will be needed. Down to Walgreens for the Hibiclens for the whole body bacteria cleanse. It’s not foolproof but it will help. Make sure the groin and armpits are thoroughly done.

Someone I Know Has MRSA - Should I be Worried?

2010-11-14T09:41:00.003-08:00

If a family or friend has MRSA - Don’t freak out. It is a harder to treat version of the staph infection that 35% of people are vulnerable to. But don’t get too relaxed. It can make other illnesses or wounds very complicated. Avoid sharing household items like towels, combs etc. Wash you hands when you get up, before meals, any time you go to the toilet and last thing at night. These simple actions will lessen the risk a lot.

Encourage the MRSA carrier to use antibacterial soap such as Hibiclens and to cover skin infection sites when around family members.

"Is MRSA different from MERSA?"

2010-11-14T09:40:00.001-08:00

MERSA is what some people call MRSA. It has become known as MERSA because of how news readers and health staff pronounce the initials and is now a commonly used term.

What 8 MRSA infection control measures you can take?
Discover the best MRSA precautions for you and your family
What MRSA Treatment do you need?
Will MRSA make you ill straight away? Discover the MRSA facts
There are many other staph infections - find out more
Should you be worried about MRSA colonization?
Are mrsa carriers automatically going to be ill?
What is MRSA?
Is MRSA different from MERSA?
Is MRSA just a hospital infection?
Is there an MRSA incubation period?
MRSA Treatment – A Simple Guide
Someone I know has MRSA – Should I be worried?
Will sex mean my partner gets MRSA?
Will I die because of MRSA?
Why do I keep getting reinfected with MRSA?

"MRSA Colonization, what is it and how to stop and more updates"

2010-11-14T09:39:00.001-08:00

Sharing a towel - it could make you sick

How do we become colonized?
Where do the bacteria colonies live in our body?
How widespread is it?
How likely is it that you will become ill?
How can you be decolonized?

Read on for the answers and scroll down for links to the latest news on all aspects of colonisation.

Towel

MRSA Colonization is the term used to describe those who have the bacteria on or in their bodies but have not yet become ill through the infection of a wound or other area of tissue.

People can become infected within minutes if they have a wound or existing skin break. Many however will carry the bacteria for years and even decades without any skin or wound infection. (1 in 3 people in the population have the easier to treat SA part of MRSA on their skin anyway) The initial colonization could take place through something as simple as sharing a towel.

The staph aureus (SA) family of bacteria live on the skin. The strains that are drug resistant and often detected in hospitals are found on the skin of about 1%, although pockets of the population can have much higher colonization rates. (These include hospital staff, vet personnel and care home residents - between 4-15% of these populations are thought to be MRSA carriers without active infection. This is a conservative estimate)

Those who have the community strains that often infect otherwise healthy people may be part of infection clusters based around social groups living in close proximity or sharing common facilities. These include needle injecting drug users, military staff, prison inmates and warders, students in residence halls, children in day care, those involved in or patronising the sex industry, promiscous heteroseuals and homosexuals and people involved in contact sports. In time people outside these high risks groups will start to become carriers as the bacteria infiltrates all aspects of a society.

People who contract MRSA in hospital may have bacteria transferred into their wound as a result of nursing or surgical proceedures. This is why hand hygiene is so important as the hand can be the transport that carries the bacteria to the wound area. MRSA is also thought to be airborne and can be part of dust or dead skin residues or in the moisture emitted when a person sneezes.

Colonization is usually a more passive state however when the person is well but has become a carrier of the bacteria. It often resides in the groin area, under the arms but especially in the nose. It can set up camp in the throat or some times in the intestine.

Doctors will often seek to decolonize people prior to an operation to help prevent MRSA infection of a wound. This will usually involve bathing with special soap and a nasal cream that is designed to kill the MRSA that often uses the nose as a hiding place.

Because MRSA is becoming so common in some populations doctors are loath to give the nasal treatment to those with simple skin infections or merely carrying the bacteria. This is because of growing resistance patterns with respect to mupirocin, the most commonly used cream. Overuse or unfinished courses of treatment will render the drug useless and will create problems for staff trying to eradicate bacteria prior to an operation.

"MRSA outbreak kills infant at Richmond hospital"

2010-11-14T09:38:00.001-08:00

A Richmond hospital has reopened its neonatal intensive care unit after a staph bacteria outbreak that claimed the life of 1 infant and sickened 10 others.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the MRSA outbreak shut down the newborn intensive care unit at CJW Medical Center's Chippenham hospital for five weeks.

Superbug outbreaks hit Peterborough hospital

2010-11-14T09:37:00.001-08:00

“Significant outbreaks” of two different superbugs have shut one unit of a Peterborough hospital to new patients. Unit B3 of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre, the region’s largest hospital, is no longer admitting or transferring patients and visitors are restricted after a spike in cases of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and C. difficile.

“What’s different in this case is two fairly significant outbreaks on one unit occurring at the same time — that’s unusual,” said Jonathan Bennett, a spokesperson for the hospital. Eleven cases of MRSA were reported since Nov. 5 and seven cases of C. difficile since Oct 22. More than three in one unit is considered an outbreak.

"MRSA Names and Updates" | "MRSA Upcoming Events and Updates"

2010-11-14T09:36:00.001-08:00

MRSA is sometimes called staph, staph infection, golden staph, mrsa staff, mersa, mursa, myrsa, staff infection, mrsa virus, mersa virus, merca, staf infection, mrsa superbug, mercer infection, murtha infection, mirsa, mrza, mertha infection, mrca, mersha, mersca, mercsa or msra infection. MRSA is not a virus. Viruses need to infect something to keep on living. Bacteria can exist on their own for months

Staph Infection - How and Why?

2010-11-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

The staph bacteria appear round under the microscope and cluster together, giving an appearance similar to a cluster of grapes - which when translated into greek gives us the word staphylococcus. While staph aureus is the best known for its role in the widespread and high profile MRSA epidemics there are 33 other types of staph infection. Up to 1000 organisms can be found on the skin of an average human being. Many are not harmful and some even protect the body. There are many however that are not harmful until they find their way into cuts, grazes and wounds.

How do people catch staph infections such as MRSA?
There are several ways it is believed to spread. Discover the best mrsa precautions

What is the best staph infection treatment?
There are 3 key treatment regimes that are commonly used. What MRSA treatment do you need?

How can staph infections be prevented?
The media often focus on clean hospitals and clean hands as key aids to MRSA prevention. What can you do about mrsa infection control?

S. afermentans
S. auricularis
S. capitis

S. caprae
This has also been detected in infections of the bloodstream, urinary tract, bones and joints. It is difficult to identify using conventional testing and may be more common than is thought. It was originally found in goats.

S. cohnii

S. epidermidis
This type of staph is very common and relatively benign. It can however cause major problems for immune compromised patients and those with any type of implant or line running into the body. It creates infections around the device and is resistant to many of the same drugs as MRSA. Replacing the device is one form of treatment.

S. felis

S. haemolyticus
This is found on the skin of humans and animals and is rarely a source of infection unless the person has a compromised immune system. It has developed resistance to many antibiotics including vancomycin - a vital tool in the war against staph infections. There is some concern that resistance genes could be passed onto other bacteria.

S. hominis
This is treatable by a wide variety of drugs but rarely causes human infection. Those prone to it include those undergoing chemotherapy - which may interfere with their immune responses.

S. intermedius

S. lugdunensis
This type of staph infection was first identified in 1988. It has been implicated in infections such as endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and septicaemia. It is thought to be acquired in both hospital and community settings. It has been found in abcesses, meningitis, shunt infection , spondylodiscitis , prosthetic joint infection, catheter-related bacteremia, and endocarditis. It is sometimes diagnosed as staph aureus due to similar appearance and outcomes.

In excess of 20% of people carry the organism, which often resides in the groin area. Post operative complications as a result of this bacteria are more common where the operation incision has been in or around the groin area. Treatment with antibiotics prior to surgery is undertaken by some doctors to halt any infection be fore it takes hold. It is treatable with penicillin and resistance to other drugs is rare.

S. pettenkoferi
This is another bacteria found on skin which rarely sparks infection unless the immune system is already weak. It is rarely found outside Belgium and Germany.

S. saprophyticus
This infection agent is thought to cause 10-20% of urinary tract infections (UTI) in women. It is resistant to the antibiotic Novobiocin, a characteristic found in several staph strains. It is rare in healthy humans but is common in animals. In females aged 17-27 it is the second most common cause of UTIs. It is thought to become endemic in the urinary tract and bladder of sexually active females. Some other research suggests that it mainly arrives via catheter lines. Symptoms include a burning sensation when passing urine, frequent urination, a 'dripping effect' after urination, weak bladder, bloated feeling and sharp pains in the bladder and ovary areas.

S. schleiferi
Instances are rare in humans but are becoming more common in otherwise healthy dogs and cats. There are strains that are resistant to multiple drugs. S. schleiferi usually causes skin and ear infections. It may also be more common that we know as many diagnostic laboratories don't try to differentiate it from the very similar S. pseudintermedius. Cross infection is a possibility and care is suggested around animals with this infection including care in the vicinity of wound sites and good handwashing habits.

S. simulans
S. vitulus

S. warneri
Another rare infection that often enters the bloodstream via catheter lines. It can be treated with vancomycin.

S. xylosus
Common in animals, rare in humans. S. xylosus is resistant to Novobiocin but can be treated by several other antibiotics.

Someone I Know Has MRSA - Should I be Worried?

2010-11-14T09:33:00.001-08:00

"MRSA Impact in 2011" | "MRSA Stem Cell Transplantation"

2010-11-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major nosocomial pathogen, with an increased incidence in the UK since 1993, causing serious morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed patients. We analysed the frequency and outcome of MRSA infection in a single-centre transplant population over a 5-year period. The total number of patients infected was 41/776 (5%).

The frequency in autologous, sibling and unrelated donor transplants was 3, 6 and 9%, respectively. Prior to 2004, the incidence was <4%/year; however, an outbreak in the day unit resulted in 22 patients becoming newly infected. Over 90% of infections were clinically relevant, half (49%) being bacteraemia.

Three patterns were seen: known MRSA positive at any time before transplant (n=15), MRSA first detected during the neutropenia phase (n=5) and MRSA only post discharge (n=21). MRSA was implicated in a number of deaths, at all time points, in those infected. An intensive eradication policy resulted in new infections dropping to <2%. In conclusion, MRSA is likely to remain endemic in our unit, but robust early screening protocols and aggressive eradication strategies have effectively limited the spread of and morbidity due to this pathogen.

Keywords: MRSA, stem cell transplantation, TRM, autologous, allogeneic

About Staph Infection

2009-12-17T22:19:00.000-08:00

What Is a Staph Infection?
Staph (pronounced: staff) is the shortened name for Staphylococcus (pronounced: staf-uh-low-kah-kus), a type of bacteria. These bacteria can live harmlessly on many skin surfaces, especially around the nose, mouth, genitals, and anus. But when the skin is punctured or broken for any reason, staph bacteria can enter the wound and cause an infection.

There are more than 30 species in the staph family of bacteria, and they can cause different kinds of illnesses — for example, one kind of staph can cause urinary tract infections. But most staph infections are caused by the species Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).

S. aureus most commonly causes skin infections like folliculitis, boils, impetigo, and cellulitis that are limited to a small area of a person's skin. S. aureus can also release toxins (poisons) that may lead to illnesses like food poisoning or toxic shock syndrome.

How Do People Get Staph Infections?
In teens, most staph infections are minor skin infections. People with skin problems like burns or eczema may be more likely to get staph skin infections.

People can get staph infections from contaminated objects, but staph bacteria often spread through skin-to-skin contact — the bacteria can be spread from one area of the body to another if someone touches the infected area.

Staph infections can spread from person to person among those who live close together in group situations (such as in college dorms). Usually this happens when people with skin infections share things like bed linens, towels, or clothing. Warm, humid environments can contribute to staph infections, so excessive sweating can increase someone's chances of developing an infection.

Serious Staph Infections
Although it's very rare, infections caused by S. aureus can occasionally become serious. This happens when the bacteria move from a break in the skin into the bloodstream. This can lead to infections in other parts of the body, such as the lungs, bones, joints, heart, blood, and central nervous system.

Staph infections in other parts of the body are less common than staph skin infections. They are more likely in people whose immune systems have been weakened by another disease — or by certain medications, like chemotherapy for cancer.

Occasionally patients having surgery may get more serious types of staph infections. The good news is that hospital staff take many precautions to avoid infection in someone having surgery. That's why they carefully clean the area being operated on, use sterile equipment, and sometimes give a person antibiotics.

You may also have heard about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA for short. MRSA is a type of staph that has built up an immunity to the antibiotics doctors usually use to treat staph infections. Although MRSA can be harder to treat, in most cases the infection heals with the right treatment.

What Are the Signs of a Staph Skin Infection?
Staph skin infections show up in lots of different ways. Some of the more common conditions often caused by S. aureus skin infections are:

Folliculitis (pronounced: fuh-lih-kyoo-lie-tus) is an infection of the hair follicles, the tiny pockets under the skin where hair shafts (strands) grow. In folliculitis, tiny white-headed pimples appear at the base of hair shafts, sometimes with a small red area around each pimple. This occurs often where people shave or have irritated skin from rubbing against clothing.

A furuncle (pronounced: fyoor-un-kul), commonly known as a boil, is a swollen, red, painful lump in the skin, usually due to an infected hair follicle. The lump usually fills with pus, growing larger and more painful until it ruptures and drains. Furuncles often begin as folliculitis and then worsen. They are most frequently found on the face, neck, buttocks, armpits, and inner thighs, where small hairs can often be irritated. A cluster of several furuncles is called a carbuncle (pronounced: kar-bun-kul). A person with a carbuncle may feel ill and feverish.

Impetigo (pronounced: im-puh-tie-go) is a superficial skin infection that mostly happens in young children, but it can sometimes affect teens and adults. Most impetigo infections affect the face or extremities like the hands and feet. An impetigo skin infection begins as a small blister or pimple, and then develops a honey-colored crust. Impetigo doesn't usually cause pain or fever, although the blisters may itch and can be spread to other parts of the body by scratching.

Cellulitis (pronounced: sell-yuh-lie-tus) is an infection involving the skin and areas of tissue below the skin surface. It begins as a small area of redness, pain, swelling, and warmth on the skin. As this area begins to spread, a person may feel feverish and ill. Cellulitis can affect any area of the body, but it's most common on the legs.

A hordeolum (pronounced: hore-dee-oh-lum), commonly known as a stye, is a staph infection in the eyelid. It develops when glands connected to the base of the eyelash become swollen and irritated. A person with a stye will usually notice a red, warm, uncomfortable, and sometimes painful swelling near the edge of the eyelid.

Many of these staph infections are minor and can be treated at home. If a minor infection gets worse — for example, you start feeling feverish or ill or the area spreads and gets very red or and hot — it's a good idea to see a doctor.

Wound infections generally show up 2 or more days after the injury or surgery. The signs of a wound infection (redness, pain, swelling, and warmth) are similar to those found in cellulitis. A wound infection may be accompanied by fever and a generally ill feeling. Pus or a cloudy fluid can drain from the wound and a yellow crust (like that in impetigo) can develop. If you think you have a wound infection after surgery, or you have a serious wound that seems to be infected, call your doctor.

Can I Prevent a Staph Skin Infection?
Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are everywhere. Many healthy people carry staph bacteria without getting sick.

Cleanliness and good hygiene are the best way to protect yourself against getting staph (and other) infections — including MRSA. You can help prevent staph skin infections by washing your hands frequently and by bathing or showering daily.

Keep areas of skin that have been injured (such as cuts, scrapes, eczema, and rashes caused by allergic reactions or poison ivy) clean and covered. Use any antibiotic ointments or other treatments that your doctor suggests. If someone in your family has a staph infection, don't share towels, sheets, or clothing until the infection has been fully treated.

If you develop a staph infection, you can prevent spreading it to other parts of your body by being careful not to touch the infected skin, keeping it covered whenever possible, and using a towel only once when you clean the area (wash the towel in hot water afterwards or use disposable towels).

What Can I Do to Feel Better?
How long it takes for a staph skin infection to heal depends on the type of infection and whether a person gets treatment for it. A boil, for example, may take 10 to 20 days to heal without treatment, but treatment may speed up this process. Most styes, on the other hand, go away on their own within several days.

To help relieve pain from a skin infection, and to help pus drain out, try soaking the affected area in warm water or applying warm, moist washcloths. Use a clean washcloth each time — wash used cloths in soap and hot water and dry them fully in a clothes dryer. You can also apply a heating pad or a hot water bottle to the skin for about 20 minutes, three or four times a day.

Pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help reduce pain until the infection subsides. For some skin infections, it can also help to wash the area with an antibacterial cleanser and apply an antibiotic ointment. Cover the skin with a clean dressing.

Styes can be treated using warm compresses over the eye (with the eye closed) three or four times a day. Be sure you always use a clean washcloth each time. Occasionally, a stye will require a topical antibiotic. See your doctor if a stye doesn't go away in a few days.

If you get a staph infection on skin areas that you normally shave, avoid shaving, if possible, until the infection clears up. If you do have to shave the area, use a clean disposable razor or clean your electric razor after each use.

Staph infections can be a nuisance, but the good news is that they are usually not serious.

Experts Speak on Pet MRSA

2009-12-17T07:49:00.000-08:00

Experts Speak on Pet MRSA
WHAT THE EXPERTS TOLD US

Professor David Lloyd at the RCV (Author of paper published in The Veterinary Record January 16 1999 'Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in 11 dogs').

“ MRSA is a growing problem in animals and we do need to take it seriously. Apart from Bella, I only know of a handful of dogs who have had such serious MRSA infections in this country. If the flora of a dog is healthy usually, they can fight it, but if they have underlying health problems or suppressed immune systems, they are more vulnerable. In your case, you and Bella were very unlucky. If the organism Staphylococcus is not picked up quickly, then it can spread through the body like wildfire.

On the subject of hydrotherapy and possible transmission, if pools are not cleaned thoroughly there is some risk, and I know that Bella attended regular hydrotherapy swims at the Royal Veterinary College, but we have extremely high standards.

Our research here at the Royal veterinary College is currently looking at where the bacteria organism found in dogs comes from; it usually is the same as the human strain. It could be a family member who has transmitted to their pets. Perhaps, someone who has been in hospital or works with people who are colonised.

The government are now taking this subject very seriously. I believe Bella Moss’s story is a good way of alerting people to the risks that exist for animals becoming infected with MRSA. People do become hysterical about this subject and need to be informed of the facts.”

Tim Greet, President of The British Veterinary Association (BVA)
“I’m amazed that Bella died in this way, and concerned that it could happen. This is something that needs looking at in more detail and I shall take a personal interest in it.”

Professor Mack Johnston, Professor of Veterinary and Public Health, Royal College Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)

“The amount of time a dog spends in kennels will affect the likelihood of it becoming colonised or infected, and I do think that the best way of preventing animals from becoming contaminated is to keep them healthy. It seems to me that there is a low level of sophistication amongst some vets performing surgery – some still don’t wear a facemask – and practices should have a systematic programme of swabbing linked to cleaning in order to reduce the risk of any infection. For me, it would be a cause for concern to hear a vet say that there had never been MRSA on his premises and that he didn’t need to take precautions, but there are things that owners, can do. The key is in the overall level of cleanliness in a vet hospital or practice. I find that the best place to look is behind the doors! There is a culture amongst some vets of a la issez fair approach to infection control, and this means animals will continue to become colonised and infected.”

Alistair Gibson, Spokesman for the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA)
“I wouldn’t agree that vets don’t take infection control seriously. I think that there is a very high standard of infection control and expertise in the practices around the country. The guidelines that the BSAVA sets are to a high standard, and although it’s true that these are entirely voluntary at present, we hope that there will be agreement with the Royal College on developing standards that vets will be required to follow.”

Tim Nuttall, Dermatologist, Liverpool Veterinary School
“As far as pets are concerned, we know that the dermatitis that affect dogs is the sign of an underlying disease, and that should be a clear warning to any vet planning surgery to take extra precautions to prevent infection. Staphylococcus Intermedius is the most common Staph carried by dogs and is generally not too difficult to treat, but MRSA in dogs is becoming a very serious concern There appear to be two strains of MRSA that are particularly difficult to treat, and so stopping the infection from occurring in the first place has to be the first priority. Secondly, the artificial material that is put into a joint, during hip replacement for instance, can itself act as a reservoir for bacteria, and this can make any infection even more difficult to treat.
MRSA is usually contracted during surgery through the wound. Auto-infections tend to be very rare.”

Mick Rich, Microbiologist and author of UK research into dogs and MRSA at IDEXX Laboratories
'I believe that we are finding more MRSA isolates in companion animals due to the fact that we are in a better position to detect this in the laboratory. In my laboratory we have both the technology and expertise needed to confirm the presence of this organism. Our published work demonstrates the increased detection of MRSA in companion animals and I hope that ongoing research and collaboration with the relevant organisations will benefit all concerned'.

Professor Gary French, Head of clinical microbiology Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital
“We are doing research into the overuse of antibiotics into humans and animals and how this can lead to increase in MRSA by killing off the protective bacteria that reduces immunity.”

No La Leonard, Microbiologist (author of 'MRSA isolates in five dogs') University Veterinary hospital, Dublin, Telephone: 00353 17167777
“Infection occurs mainly in wound through contamination and often following orthopaedic surgery. There is growing concern in Ireland and England about MRSA in dogs. We have many calls from vets asking us for advice on how to treat possible MRSA in animals. Our research will be published in 2005 it will be based on humonic research (how humans transmit to animals) In Ireland there was a case of five dogs all infected at the same time during a stay in hospital, this is very concerning. There does need to be clear guidelines for vets and staff to know how to deal with serious infections and on barrier nursing techniques. What you and Bella went through should not happen again. Our research will establish more about how dogs become infected.”

Scott Weiss, microbiologist at University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
(Author of paper on MRSA infection and colonisation in small animals and transmission to humans) Telephone: 001 519 824 4120
“ MRSA is an important pathogen in humans and is being increasingly identified in animals. Most MRSA infections in small animals are thought to be of human origin, however transmission between animals and humans is in both directions. Our research has been documented in veterinary clinics and households throughout Canada. MRSA is an important emerging veterinary crisis and persons working in veterinary hospitals need to be educated.” jsweese@uoguelph.ca

Caring for an MRSA infected pet at home

2009-12-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

Annette Loeffler (MRCVS) answers questions on caring at home for a pet infected with MRSA. You can download this guidance sheet by clicking on the link below

Download annette_loeffler_advice_pets_at_home.pdf

Infection Control for Pet Visitors

2009-12-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

Introduction
Patients in hospital and other healthcare facilities are attracted to and enjoy petting animals. People need to be aware of the potential health risks and how to avoid them when pet visitors enter a healthcare environment.

What are zoonoses?
Zoonoses are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. Animals may carry a range of germs without showing any signs of disease. Most zoonoses are uncommon and can usually be treated when detected. While there are dozens of zoonotic diseases, there are a few that are particularly dangerous to humans. Zoonoses include MRSA Campylobacter infection, cryptosporidiosis, salmonellosis, toxin producing E. coli, ringworm, Psittacosis, Q fever, hydatids, leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis and toxocariasis.

How are zoonoses spread?
Diseases can be spread through direct contact with animals and then placing contaminated fingers or other items in the mouth. Diseases can also be spread through animal bites and scratches, contact with their hair and fur, or through indirect contact with their faeces, urine, saliva, blood, aerosols or environments contaminated with these materials. Diseases can also be spread through contaminated dust.

Who is at risk?
Everyone is at risk but particularly those people with weakened immune systems, the elderly, pregnant women, young children and those who are ill.

What precautions can the general public take?
Hand washing is the key. Infectious diseases may be spread from either animals or the environment to people by contaminated hands. Hand washing is one of the most important practices in preventing the spread of disease for people coming into contact with pet visitors. Always wash hands with soap and running water before eating, drinking or smoking.

When an animal visits, do not:
Touch mouth with hands, or lick fingers
Eat food intended for animals
Eat
Leave open wounds uncovered
Wipe hands on clothing, if avoidable.

Always wash hands and other exposed body parts with soap and running water, particularly after:

Touching animals, or food containers. Any part of the animal or its surrounds can be contaminated with faeces or urine.

Being licked, bitten or spat on by animals
Having contact with soil or faeces.

What precautions can healthcare facilities take?
Healthcare facilities should obtain the informed consent of patients and carers well before the pet visits. Staff should closely supervise patients who are petting animals by using the precautions outlined above. Hand washing of the patients immediately afterwards should also be closely supervised, ensuring that hand-washed patients do not become recontaminated by being in contact with other patients who have not washed their hands.

What precautions can pet owners take?
Pet owners should take precautions to reduce the risk of ill health to patients. Owners should assume that all animals carry germs harmful to humans and take appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of disease, by:

· Providing only healthy animals for visiting purposes or contact by establishing a close association with a vet to ensure animals are clinically healthy, appropriately vaccinated, and maintaining a comprehensive parasite control program for all species

· Practicing and promoting thorough hand washing with soap and running water after contact with animals.

· Keeping animals out of eating areas

· Keep alcohol hand sanitiser handy and use it before touching animals and patients where handwashing facilities are not immediately available.

· Make sure you immediately clean up any faeces or urine.

· Only eat or drink in designated areas, not in animal contact areas. If a healthcare facility does not have separate visitor eating and animal contact areas, signs should advise visitors that hands should be thoroughly washed with soap and running water after touching animals and before eating.

· Wash or bath your pet using an approved and accredited pet shampoo before and after visiting.

Hand Hygiene – Good Practice
It is generally accepted that around 70% of all cross infection is as a result of poor or inadequate hand hygiene.

Here are some simple guidelines which will assist in reducing risk.
Note: ‘Hand-washing’ refers to the use of soap and water to remove dirt, oil and other substances that signal that the hands are not clean. ‘Decontamination’ refers to cleansing the hands of unwanted bacteria after they have been washed or when they are known to be clean

1. Hands must be decontaminated immediately before each and every episode of direct patient contact or care and after any activity or contact that could potentially result in hands becoming contaminated.

2. Hands that are visibly soiled, or potentially grossly contaminated with dirt or organic material, must be washed with liquid soap and water.

3. Hands must be decontaminated, unless hands are visibly soiled, between caring for different patients or between different care activities for the same patient.

4. Before regular hand decontamination begins, all wrist and hand jewelry should be removed. Cuts and abrasions must be covered with waterproof dressings. Fingernails should be kept short, clean and free from nail polish.

5. An effective handwashing technique involves three stages: preparation, washing and rinsing, and drying. Preparation requires wetting hands under tepid running water before applying liquid soap or an antimicrobial preparation. The handwash solution must come into contact with all of the surfaces of the hand. The hands must be rubbed together vigorously for a minimum of 10-15 seconds, paying particular attention to the tips of the fingers, the thumbs and the areas between the fingers. Hands should be rinsed thoroughly before drying with good quality paper towels. Hands should not be left damp.

6. When decontaminating hands using an anti-microbial handrub, hands should be free from dirt and organic material. The handrub solution must come into contact with all surfaces of the hand and the directions for use followed rigorously. Particular attention should be paid to the tips of the fingers, the thumbs and the areas between the fingers, until the solution has evaporated and the hands are dry.

7. If a particular soap, antimicrobial hand wash or alcohol product causes skin irritation an occupational health team should be consulted.

Germicidal UVC Lights Improve Clinical Pregnancy Rates for IVF Lab, New Study Finds

2009-12-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

Bethlehem, Pa., September 2008 – A seven and a half-year study conducted in the In Vitro Fertilisation Cleanroom Laboratory of the Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network found that the use of ultraviolet C or “UVC” lights installed in the HVAC system had a clinically significant impact on clinical pregnancy rates (CPR). In presenting the findings at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Kathryn C. Worrilow, Ph.D. reported that the + beta and CPR increased by an average of 17.8% and 18.2%, respectively, following 10 of the 13 change-outs of the Steril-Aire UVC Emitters™ over the test period.

SUCCESS DEPENDENT ON CLEAN AMBIENT AIR

Clinical success in an IVF lab is critically dependent upon the quality of the ambient air, which in turn, is directly dependent upon the HVAC system. The study led by Dr. Worrilow tracked three key components in the HVAC system – particulate filters, gas phase filters and UVC lights – and the timing of their replacement - to determine whether these individual components affected markers of pre-implantation embryogenesis and clinical pregnancy rates.

According to the findings, “There were no statistically significant differences… associated with the replacement of the particulate or gas phase filters in Testing Quarters 1-48. In contrast, immediately following 10 of the 13 UVC Emitter change-outs, the + beta hCG and clinical pregnancy rates increased 17.8% and 18.2%, respectively.”

The study goes on to say: “UVC energy will destroy 90 – 99% of airborne microbial contaminants. By targeting the DNA and RNA of microorganisms, UVC degrades and abates the proliferation of airborne and surface embryotoxic organics. Of equal significance to the developing embryo is the suggested impact of UVC irradiation on the degradation of VOCs. Our work has demonstrated that VOC levels as low as 2.2 ppb can be embryotoxic to the embryo cultured in vitro.”

UVC IN HVAC PLAYS CRITICAL ROLE IN IMPROVED CLINICAL OUTCOMES

The authors conclude: “Although the use of UVC light represents a departure from the standard HVAC design used in many IVF laboratories, the current study suggests that the use of UVC germicidal technology in the HVAC system serving the IVF laboratory may play a critical role in providing optimal ambient air towards improved clinical outcomes. The current study demonstrated that a clinically significant relationship existed between the replacement of the UVC Emitters and the associated clinical pregnancy rates.”

Robert Scheir, Ph.D., president of Steril-Aire, Inc., states: “This new data provides scientific evidence of the germicidal benefits of UVC technology. The potential benefits are far-reaching: not only for the potential to improve CPR in IVF clinics, but also for enhancing infection control in hospitals and healthcare environments, and for maintaining better ambient air in medical and pharmaceutical manufacturing clean rooms.”

Scheir adds: “The study also confirms the importance of adequate UVC output and changeout frequency in achieving desired results. The study used high-output Steril-Aire UVC lamps with a changeout schedule of 6-9 months. In the 3 of 13 UVC replacement test quarters that did not result in improved clinical pregnancy rates, outside factors may have played a role in the outcomes. As long as the lamps were functioning properly and were changed on schedule, results were consistently positive. The message to anyone using UVC is that it is critical to select a device with adequate output and to replace the device consistently at required intervals to maintain that output. Otherwise, germicidal effectiveness will be diminished.”

Pandemic Flu Update

2009-12-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

Updates on Panademic Flu - Latest News

Human Source of Bird Flu Infection Can't Be Ruled Out, WHO Says 8th Dec, 2007
HSE: Working with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus

HPA: Revised interim guidelines for investigation and reporting of suspected human cases of avian influenza

Defra: Commission Decision Banning Birds at Markets, Shows and Fairs

Department of Health: Pandemic Flu website
Contingency plan, explanation, and key facts. Frequently updated.

Department of Health: Pandemic flu, frequently asked questions Pandemic flu and its impact on society - updated 19 Oct. (.pdf, 16 pages, 104KB)

Department of Health: Influenza pandemic contingency plan Updated 19 Oct. (.pdf, 581KB, 177 pages)

Department of Health: Important information for you and your family This leaflet describes pandemic flu, the risk of it occurring in this country, what makes it different from the 'ordinary' flu we get every winter, and what the UK is doing to prepare for a possible influenza pandemic. Updated 19 Oct (.pdf, 16 pages, 1MB)

Department of Health: Pandemic Flu - key facts leaflet Updated 19 Oct. (.pdf, 4 pages, 79KB)

HPA: Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan
The Agency's plans to protect the public's health in the event of a flu pandemic affecting the UK.

WHO: Pandemic Preparedness

WHO: 10 things you need to know about pandemic influenza

MRSA Cream Latest News and Update

2009-12-10T18:32:00.000-08:00

How to use and apply MRSA Cream, where MRSA Cream available, is MRSA Cream costly? MRSA Cream available departmental stores and where and how to get MRSA Cream, MRSA Cream available in which country and contact numbers, office address, how useful MRSA Cream to prevent, Prevent MRSA with MRSA Cream, MRSA Cream update news, how to get MRSA Cream? Is doctors suggesting to use MRSA Cream, are the doctors prescribing MRSA Cream?

Coming up soon!!!

Stop The Spreading of MRSA

2009-12-10T18:24:00.001-08:00

There are steps to consider when treating a staph infection. Properly doing so will limit the risk of worsening the infection and ensuring a much faster recovery. It is important to take proper measures, because it is important to eliminate staph and keep it from recurring.

Staph tends to be spread through the contact between people, and surfaces like blankets, towels, clothes, etc.

When it comes to stopping a staph infection, there are steps to consider.

Understand that the nose is a primary site for Staph bacteria to colonize. On most individuals, this is where a majority of staph bacteria is located. By making contact with the nose, the risk for spreading or becoming staph increases. If you are diagnosed with staph, or wish to take measures to further prevent it, apply a small anti-bacterial agent, such as Bactroban, to the interior of the nostril using a q-tip, or something similar. By eliminating a primary source for staph bacteria, you can greatly reduce the risk of infection.

Be sure to understand that this will not stop the spread of a staph infection that you may currently have.

Take serious measures to maintain proper hygiene, this is to slow down or limit the spread of staph. You should wash your hands often, wash the infection site with an anti-bacterial agent, take showers or baths often with anti-bacterial soap to ensure that your body is as clean as possible. Wash any towels, clothes, sheets, and anything that you may share with others often to ensure that you do not spread staph further.

These are not all of the steps to consider when looking to treat a staph infection, you may take extra precautions to give more prevention of staph spreading. But above all, be sure to contact a physician to ensure that the proper steps are taken in treating staph properly.

New “Super Bug” Treatment - MRSA

2009-12-10T18:23:00.001-08:00

Scientists at Queen’s University in Belfast have recently discovered new agents to fight the MRSA “Super Bug” and other similar hospital acquired infections that are resisting more and more antibiotics. The fluids are a class of ionic liquids that kill colonies of these dangerous microbes, which in turn inhibits their growth.

If you have read our other articles you know that MRSA bacteria exist in colonies that stick to the surface of matter. Once bonded the colony will protect itself with a thin bio film layer which blocks out antiseptics,disinfectants, and antibiotics. The new agents were designed with this in mind.

Eight researchers from the Queen’s University Ionic Liquid Laboratories (QUILL) Research Center led by Brendan Gilmore began the task of developing this new class of agents, and their recent discover was published in “Green Chemistry” a scientific journal popular in “those” circles.

“We have shown that when pitted against the ionic liquids we developed and tested, biofilms offer little or no protection to MRSA, or to seven other infectious microorganisms.” -Earl Said

These Ionic liquids, are very similar to table salt. Yes the same salt you put on your food. They consists entirely of electrically charged atoms or clusters of atoms. These are known as ions. The difference is the temperature at which the ionic liquid becomes a liquid. Table salt must be heated to over 800 degrees Celsius, where the new agents are liquid at room temperature.

As you can imagine this is indeed an amazing discovery. To create such a liquid and with minimum toxicity to humans is very impressive indeed.

Earle was also quoted “Our goal is to design ionic liquids with the lowest possible toxicity to humans while wiping out colonies of bacteria that cause hospital acquired infections.”

Other Applications
Not only are biofilms an issue for MRSA victims and in hospitals, but there are commercial applications here as well. The same problem that causes water clogs in you houshold and in industrial plants may be alleviated by the University’s discovery.
“Ionic liquid based antibiofilm agents could potentially be used for a multitude of medical and industrial applications. For example, they could be used to improve infection control and reduce patient morbidity in hospitals and therefore lighten the financial burden to healthcare providers. They could also be harnessed to improve industrial productivity by reducing biofouling and microbial-induced corrosion of processing systems.” Gilmore Said

The paper “Antibiofilm activities of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquids” by L. Carson, P.K.W. Chau, M.J. Earle, M.A. Gilea, B.F. Gilmore, S.P. Gorman, M.T. McCann and K.R. Seddon, is published online: Green Chem., 2009, DOI: 10.1039/b821842k.

Queen’s University
http://www.qub.ac.uk

Pets And MRSA - Is Your Pet Safe?

2009-12-10T18:22:00.001-08:00

Recent studies show that MRSA can be carried not only by humans, but pets as well. Owners of pets should not worry over whether or not their pet is infected with MRSA. The point is to simply be aware that it could happen.

Humans and pets can be colonized with MRSA, but that does not mean an infection is present, or that there is any potential harm.

A study of about 600 households, that housed pets and humans, was conducted and showed that Staph bacteria were present in 28% of people, and about 13% of pets that lived in households. Approximately 10% of households contained both humans and pets that had some form of Staph colonization present. MRSA showed to have presence in about 5% of humans and about 3% of dogs and cats.

If you or a family member suffers from some form of Staph infection that continually reoccurs, consider having the pets checked out.

New Development That Uses A Light-Activated Treatment To Kill MRSA

2009-12-10T18:12:00.001-08:00

Recently, scientists have developed a new way to treat MRSA. This new development uses a light activated treatment that targets and kills MRSA.

The treatment works by using a light-sensitive antimicrobial drug that is attached to a peptide (protein), which then attaches onto the bacterial surface of MRSA. With use of this method, only MRSA bacteria are targeted and healthy body cells are preserved in the process.

The chemical that is used is Tin Chlorin E6, which upon treatment releases molecules that kill MRSA when exposed of specific types of light wavelengths.

Studies that were conducted showed that the treatment killed 99.97% of 10 million MRSA bacteria. The study also showed that the new treatment was over 1,000 times better than Tin Chlorin E6 used without the peptide. The way that this treatment is administered makes the likelihood of MRSA developing a resistance to it very unlikely, which is good for the consideration of long term use.

Linda Dekker, a leading participant in the development in this new treatment, presented the information from the studies to the Society For General Microbiology in Harrogate, Yorkshire, on March 31, 2009.

At the meeting, she stated that “the results from laboratory studies are very encouraging and indicate that this technique might be effective at treating tropical infections, such as wound and burn infections”. She also stated “due to the growing resistance of many organisms to antibiotics, this approach may be the only one available for use against microbes resistant to all known antibiotics“.

New Guidelines For Treating Complicated Skin And Soft Tissue Infections

2009-12-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

Understanding MRSA Prevention

How Can I Prevent MRSA?

Staph is spread by contact. You can get MRSA if you touch a person who carries the bacteria -- or if you touch something that an infected person touched.

The CDC says that the following things have been associated with the spread of MRSA.

Close skin-to-skin contact
Openings in the skin, like cuts or abrasions
Contaminated items and surfaces
Crowded living conditions, like in hospitals or prisons
Poor hygiene
In health care centers, people who carry MRSA are sometimes isolated from other patients to prevent the bacteria from spreading.

According to the CDC, here are some of the best ways to prevent MRSA.

Wash your hands thoroughly. Use soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Experts suggest that you wash your hands for as long as it takes you to recite the alphabet.

Cover cuts and scrapes with a clean bandage. This will help the wound heal. It will also prevent you from spreading bacteria to other people.
Do not touch other people's wounds or bandages.

Do not share personal items like towels or razors. If you use any shared gym equipment, wipe it down before and after you use it. Drying clothes, sheets, and towels in a dryer -- rather than letting them air dry -- helps kill bacteria.

Tags: MRSA prevention new guide lines, MRSA affecting all over world, MRSA cure and prevention

Eastbourne pensioner dies on the day hospital announces superbug outbreak

2009-04-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

A family have vowed to sue the NHS after a man died in a superbug outbreak – just hours after health bosses said they were taking the infection “very seriously”.

Grandfather-of-two John Saunders was pronounced dead at Eastbourne District General Hospital (DGH) the same day it was revealed 13 patients had died after contracting the C-diff bug.

The 66-year-old had only been admitted for a simple procedure to remove a blood clot.

Kim Hodgson, the £140,000-a-year chief executive of East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the DGH, said she was “devastated” by the outbreak and said she would have “no hesitation” about being on the wards herself.

But yesterday Mr Saunders’ daughter Victoria, 32, slammed the isolation wards at the hospital.

She said: “Our father has been taken away from us.

“He only went in with a chest infection and then he died. It was not his time to go.

“He was a real family man and we loved him. I’m obviously very upset and angry. This should never have happened. Swine Flu

“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else. The hospital has a lot to answer for.”

Mr Saunders’ second daughter Jane Stansfield, 42, of Badlesmere Road, Eastbourne, added that more should have been done for her “strong, independent” father.

She said: “He came in because of a blood clot on his lung. He was ready to be discharged and then he got the infection and the bug.

“He went downhill quickly. I am just so angry. I was told he was not eating or drinking properly but when I went in I fed him myself and he had a tub of ice cream and two drinks.

"A lot more could have been done for him. They should have taken much better care of him. I went in to see him on the isolation ward for the C-diff just hours before he died and he was struggling to breathe and really uncomfortable.

"It was so hard to see him like that. It was the C-diff bug that took so much out of him.

"If he had not caught that I am sure he would have battled through. He was a strong, independent man.”

Mr Saunders, of Sorrel Road, Eastbourne, who was diabetic, was admitted to hospital seven weeks ago.

He went on to develop the C-diff bug before dying last Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Saunders’ death certificate said he had died from pneumonia and that C-diff had been a contributory factor.

The grandfather was separated from his wife Bridget, 59, but the pair remained friends.

He left behind two grandchildren, Joshua, 12, and Jessica, seven.

Last week the hospital revealed three patients had died as a direct result of C-diff and it had been a contributory factor in the deaths of ten others since January 2009.

There are currently 12 patients being treated for the superbug at the DGH.

The NHS trust, which is still investigating the outbreak, has spent about £100,000 on a hydrogen peroxide vaporisation system in a bid to tackle the bug.

More staff have been taken on to work on the isolation ward.

A hospital spokesman said: “We would like to offer our condolences to the family. If the family would like to contact us about their concerns we will investigate them.

“This outbreak has predominantly affected patients who are frail, elderly and have a number of underlying medical conditions which have required antibiotic treatment.

“Any deaths related to the outbreak are being thoroughly investigated by senior medical staff.”

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NI scientists develop new tool to fight MRSA

2009-04-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

Scientists in the North have developed a new way of fighting deadly hospital superbugs like MRSA.

Researchers at Queen's University in Belfast say what they have found that special salts can be used to kill or prevent the growth of dangerous germs that are resistant to antibiotics.

The researchers are now hoping to design special liquids that will be able to wipe out colonies of bacteria. The work is being supported by Invest NI.

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MRSA tests for hospital patients

2009-04-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

SCUNTHORPE General Hospital patients are to be swabbed for MRSA in a bid to reduce levels of the deadly bacterial infection.

The news comes as it was revealed levels of MRSA are too high according to the health watchdog, which has put the hospital on a danger list.

Watchdog Monitor has called in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG) bosses after its three hospitals breached MRSA targets for the third consecutive period.

Monitor spokesman Michael Moruzzi said: "NLAG has been 'red rated' as it has failed to meet its MRSA target for three consecutive quarters.

"This means they have not addressed recurrent failure to meet one or more of their national requirements, in this case reducing MRSA levels."

Provisional trust figures show NLAG had 19 cases of MRSA between March 2008 and March 2009.

This is seven more MRSA cases than its target of 12 for the three hospitals in Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Goole.

Trust spokesman Simon Rigg said only 11 of the cases were acquired inside the hospitals, and eight were brought into the hospitals from the community.

He said: "We know these infections are of concern to the public, so we take it extremely seriously."

For the full story, buy today's Scunthorpe Telegraph.

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New MRSA screening policy launched

2009-04-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

A new MRSA screening policy is being launched in Gloucester- shire's hospitals as part of the war against super bugs.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is starting to screen the majority of elective day patients for the infection.

This will see swabs taken from the nose or groin, as well as other areas where thought necessary.

The scheme will see about 42,000 extra patients screened a year – roughly 160 cases a day.

The news comes after a rise in MRSA cases across the county last month. There were five cases of the bug in February – the highest number since May 2007.

This followed three cases in January and one in December.

Dr James Stone, Consultant Micro- biologist the Trust, said: "As part of our comprehensive infection control strategy we are pleased to announce the introduction of this new MRSA screening policy.

"Research suggests that around one in 10 people are carriers of MRSA and although cases have been reduced at the Trust the current method of only screening high risk patients means it is possible for other carriers to come into hospital and contribute to the spread of the bug.

"These new measures will be an added reassurance for patients coming to our hospitals that we are doing everything possible to prevent infections."

From now on, day case patients, booked to come in for minor or routine operations, will be screened in the outpatient departments when the decision to operate is made.
Positive results will be followed up by the infection control staff.

The patient will be told by letter and sent an information leaflet detailing where the treatment can be collected from. Women who require caesarean sections will also be screened at their 36-week midwife appointment.

MRSA decolonisation will take place on anyone who is found carrying the bug.
By increasing the number of patients screened, the Trust hopes to achieve a reduction in numbers of MRSA bacteraemia, reduce MRSA surgical wound infection and therefore drugs used in the treatment of MRSA infection. Swine Flu

Some patient groups will not be routinely screened in line with Department of Health recommendations. These include dental and endoscopy day cases, minor dermatology procedures, or children unless they are already in a high risk group.

Maternity patients, except women requiring a planned caesarean section and high risk cases, will also not be screened.

The new swabbing policy will be fully implemented by the end of the month, the Trust said.

A programme of MRSA screening for all emergency admissions and elective surgery patients was introduced at all Gloucestershire hospitals in June 2008 in partnership with NHS Gloucestershire.

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MRSA On Pets - Questions & Answers

2009-03-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

If my dog is colonised, should I keep it away from my other pets and animals?
If other pets and animals are healthy there is no need to keep them separated; it is only those that are ill or have a poor immune system that are at any real risk. It is possible for other pets and animals to become colonised, but this will have no effect on a healthy animal as far as we know.

I can’t find any information on MRSA in cats; do you know of any research?
It seems that there has been very little research on MRSA in cats. There has been a case reported in Scotland and some were reported in a record to the Vet Times a while ago, but other than that there is really nothing.

If my dog has a skin infection of Staphylococcus aureus or intermedius, what should I use to clean the floor and bedding?
Opinion varies; the companies that sell cleaning products will generally say that they are essential to do the job, whilst those not involved in such products will generally say that special products are unnecessary. Skin infections can best be treated directly with antibiotics, and keeping the floor and bedding clean may not be the biggest part of preventing re-infection. Good overall cleanliness will probably do the job, but if you want to look at some specialised products there are plenty about. Little research has been done on most of these products, so in the end it’s a matter of personal preference.

What is the treatment for dogs with MRSA?

I have MRSA and my doctor said it was the same treatment for humans as animals and recommended that I give my dog Rifampin 600mgs a day for two days.

The principles of treatment are the same – that is, treatment should be individualised and based on the sensitivity of the particular bacteria that is being treated. However, it is also very important that a vet rather than a doctor should treat any animal with an infection.

I am colonised with MRSA and so is my pet. Can we use the same medicine to remove the colonisation and , if not, what should I use on my dog?

It is important that a Doctor be in charge of treating human colonisation and a vet in charge of treating animal colonisation. There has been some success at the Royal Veterinary College from a form of intranasal fusidic acid specific to dogs.

Can a dog become infected from eating bandages from an infected person?
Not specifically infected, but it may become colonised.

I am pregnant and colonised with MRSA as is my dog, can my newborn baby become colonised?
This is possible but is a human health issue that you should discuss in detail with your doctor. Your newborm baby will be more likely to become colonised from you rather than from your dog.

How long can MRSA live on a surface?
It depends on a few things. If the surface is dry and the environment warm it may survive for a few hours, but in general MRSA prefers a moist environment like a wound or the back of the nose. A ceramic tile may be a very hostile environment to MRSA, but the grouting in between tiles may be more habitable. MRSA has been found in hospital ward areas that have been allowed to gather dust.

What temperature should I wash clothes in to protect my family?
Washing machine temperatures can be unreliable, but a standard hot wash and thorough drying should be sufficient. How easy is it for MRSA to spread through clothing and touch? It seems easier for MRSA to spread through direct physical contact than through clothing, particularly if personal hygiene is poor, but it does seem that a lot of movement between people in a relatively closed environment (such as a hospital ward) makes transmission much easier.

How does a pet become colonised with MRSA if the owner is not colonised?
Colonisation occurs after contact with any colonised or infected person or animal or colonised environment, not just owners. It seems less likely that pets will become colonised from other pets, but it is certainly possible. Environments that are contaminated with MRSA may also lead to colonisation of a pet, and there has been a report of a care-home pet transmitting MRSA from one location to another.

Are some animals more vulnerable to MRSA colonisation than others?
There is no clear-cut answer to which species may be more vulnerable, but current thinking is that dogs are probably less vulnerable to colonisation than other animals because the endemic strain of Staphylococcus is not Staph. aureus but Staph. intermedius, and this seems to make it harder for Staph. a (and MRSA) to get established. Vulnerability may depend much more on issues of health than on issues of species, and ill, old or very young animals may be much more at risk than healthy mature animals.

I am a carrier of MRSA. Can I carry this to my pet and does this mean that I should not have close contact with my pet like kissing and face licking?
It is certainly be possible that you could spread MRSA to your pet and lead to it becoming colonised, although it is not yet known how often this happens or what makes it more or less likely. If your pet is healthy, colonisation is a minimal risk to its health, but you should also remember that, even aside from MRSA, kissing pets is not recommended.

Both of my dogs have Staph-infected paws; how can I eradicate MRSA from my home? The first question is; is MRSA present there?

If your dogs are infected with a different type of staph. (Staph. intermedius, for instance) then the risk to you and your family is very small. If our dogs are infected with MRSA they must be treated first. It is very unlikely that MRSA will be a problem in a house where no one is vulnerable, but it is also extremely difficult to eradicate any bacteria from an environment that cannot be sealed. A house is not like a hospital ward; people come in and out all the time and there is not a controlled process of decontamination. It is far better to make sure everyone stays healthy than to try to eradicate bacteria.

Is it possible to remove the MRSA that colonises my dog? I know that humans can become decolonised.
Potentially, yes. There have been some successes with treating the nasal passages of pets to remove MRSA colonies, but almost no reliable research. The ease with which MRSA colonisation can be treated may well depend on issues such as the specific size of a dog’s head and the difficulty getting medicine into the colonised area.

What kind of MRSA affects horses and how many cases have there been?
Most of the reported cases have come from North America, although there have certainly been a few from the UK. A recent Canadian report found horses colonised with a form of MRSA rare in people, but there have also been reports of horses carrying human strains of MRSA. At present there is very little information on what kinds of MRSA have been found in horses in the UK.

What is the best way to wash hands?
When we wash our hands with soap, the soap breaks up the oil on our skin in which bacteria can live. This oil is important in keeping our skin supple (which is why it becomes dry and cracked if we have to wash frequently). To wash our hands properly we need to use the right technique: First, when we soap (or use any other hand cleanser) we must make sure to wash each finger and thumb individually, and pay particular attention to the area between the fingers and the base of the thumb. If we are using soap, we need to rinse thoroughly (some cleansers do not require rinsing) because this removes dirt and bacteria.

Finally, if using soap, we need to dry our hands completely because damp hands will attract high concentrations of air-borne bacteria. There is some evidence that drying with paper towels is more effective than either air-dryers or cloth towels. Some preparations, when used, do not need rinsing or drying, so always make sure that you know how to use any hands cleanser properly.

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Autumn/Winter Update

2009-03-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

A year on: The memorial for Bella although a fitting tribute to her life, for me a personally was a very difficult time. I miss Bella as if I have lost an arm or a leg. I am angry, determined to make sure that animals in this country are protected from unnecessary death and suffering as a result of dirty hygiene in veterinary practices.

So the update for July, August and September did not appear for two reasons, one that I was grieving and secondly the charity work has now become almost full time for me and my other trustee Mark Dosher.

On August 21st, almost a year to the day after losing my beloved companion and friend Bella Louise Moss I planted a white cherry blossom tree in her garden.

Those who had helped us in our cause, or had been helped to deal with MRSA infections in their own pets came to honour Bella’s memory and show their support. Although it was a sombre event, and particularly poignant to me, it was also an opportunity to celebrate the recovery that other pets had made and for those who had been involved in the work of the Foundation over the last year to meet.

I’d like to give a big THANK YOU to Richard Allport for being able to come to the Memorial and for the time he spent talking to everyone, to Our Dogs, Your Dog and Dogs Today for their coverage of the event, and to the National and Local press for their support of the event and the issues of MRSA in pets (particular the Daily Mail and The Sunday Times for their detailed articles).

It was also very gratifying to see so many contributors to the Forum at the Memorial; the forum is there for everyone to raise issues on animal welfare, so please keep contributing. Full coverage of the Memorial can be found on the websites.

Me (centre) with other pet owners at the Memorial for Bella in August

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More MRSA Deaths in dogs

2009-03-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

Sadly this month we have heard of three more dogs that have died from the effects of MRSA. We are sorry for the loss of Max, aged 7 (Golden Retriever), Ben, 7 (Collie), and Foxy, 4 (Staffordshire Bull Terrier) whose lives were cut short by hospital acquired infections. We are gratified that the vets in these cases have acknowledged the likelihood of the infection being acquired in the practice rather than simply denying the possibility and blaming the owners.

We also discovered the case of a dog that seems to have contracted MRSA in the kennels where it was boarded and developed a skin infection apparently from scratching itself. We can’t be absolutely certain how the infection occurred, but it shows the importance of making sure that our companion pets are as healthy as possible if they have to go into unfamiliar surroundings.

Jazz now fully recovered from a staph A infection contracted whilst being boarded in kennels.

Finally: Watch out for new pages on www.thebellamossfoundation.com together with more press articles, press releases and testimonials from owners. Swine Flu

PETS MRSA News

2009-03-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

Allowing Animals Dying of MRSA a Proper Cremation

The Bella Moss Foundation has voiced serious concerns about new regulations from the Environmental Agency that are causing uncertainty and concern within the veterinary profession as well as to pet owners’ groups and charities.

The regulations, which concern the classification and disposal of hazardous waste, came into effect in July 2005 but have yet to be enforced fully because of a lack of clarity on how they should be interpreted.

The new regulations say that animals dying as a result of serious infectious diseases (such as MRSA) must be classified as H9 waste in the same way as tissue from surgical procedures and bodily fluids, and must be disposed of only through licensed facilities. The vast majority of pet crematoria, which up until now were permitted to cremate such animals, will now no longer be able to do the work because their equipment cannot guarantee complete destruction of every part of an infectious organism. The regulations, however, do not make the same stipulation for human remains.

The Bella Moss Foundation agrees with the opinion of the BSAVA, which has been involved in discussions with the Environment Agency on the issue, that there are likely to be serious consequences for veterinary practices if the regulations are enforced, not the least of which will be the fact that vet practices will be considered to have ‘produced’ the waste and thus be just as responsible for its disposal as the facility that actually takes on the job. In the case of an animal dying from a serious infection at its home and without direct veterinary attention, the responsibility for appropriate disposal will be borne by the owner.

Some estimates put the cost of approved disposal in the region of £6 per kilo of body weight, which will add an unbearable financial burden to practices already having to decide between improving their procedures and keeping their prices competitive, and will also encourage some pet owners to default on cremation costs.

In addition, pet charities, which often have to deal with terminally ill, ownerless animals will have to bear a huge cost as result of the new regulations if they go to the trouble of identifying infectious conditions in the animals they rescue.

Mark Dosher, Secretary of The Bella Moss Foundation, said, “No one is arguing that the Environmental Agency should ignore safety, but we have seen the way the regulations are phrased, and The Foundation shares the BSAVA’s concerns that there is a serious inconsistency in the way human and animal remains are treated. Apart from this, and because of the likelihood that there will be a prohibitive rise in the cost of cremation, we believe that the regulations will lead to a reluctance on the part of vets to clearly identify bacterial strains occurring in companion animal which will, in turn, lead to greater use of the broad-spectrum antibiotics that are blamed for MRSA and other resistant bacteria in the first place.”

Jill Moss, President of The Bella Moss Foundation, added that vets seem to face a higher occupational risk of carrying MRSA, and that failure to accurately identify resistant bacterial strains will increase their frequency and thus the risk to vets, animals and pet owners.

However, there are also aspects of the regulations that are just not clear; in particular is the fact that they seem to say that the body of a pet euthanised whilst suffering from a serious infection will not have to be considered hazardous waste in the same way as an animal that dies before it is euthanised.

“This is not just a technical issue for pet owners.” Said Moss. “It’s as much an emotional one. We believe that pet owners will be horrified to have their pet, often a much-loved family member, designated as ‘waste’: no one would want their brother or parent to be classed as that, and the regulations allow people who have died from MRSA and other serious infection to be cremated normally. We believe that pets should be treated in the same way, and not just for sentimental reasons. If a human body can be cremated without being designated ‘waste’ and without creating a significant health risk, whatever the cause of death, then we think the same should apply to pets.”

Cremation of pets through approved facilities will also mean that owners will not receive ashes. “The issue of closure, of having the last remains of a cremation, is incredibly important to pet owners,” continued Moss, “and the Environment Agency needs to understand that there is more to this than a simplistic risk-assessment.”

Moss says that no one would want the Environment Agency to ignore reasonable risk, but agrees with the BSAVA that the risk has been overstated because of a lack of proper analysis. “The Environmental Agency seems to be saying that any risk to humans needs to be prevented, but they only take this view with animals. We believe that this is based on a political assessment more than anything else because there would be no support for treating human remains in the same way.”

Dosher agreed. “The assessment of risk is not simply about trying to work out if something bad could possibly happen, but much more about the likelihood that it will. We believe that the Environment Agency has turned an enormously unlikely possibility into a practical probability without any logic or sensible analysis. Moreover, it makes no sense at all to designate as waste an animal that died from MRSA but not one that would have died from it but was euthanised first.”

At present, the new regulations remain in place but un-enforced while discussions between the Environment Agency and the BSAVA continue. For charities and pet owners, however, the uncertainty only adds to what is an already stressful and expensive process.

MRSA: An Update on Virulent Staph Infection

2009-03-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

Bart is a middle-aged man in good shape. He works out several times a week at the Gold’s Gym in Midtown Manhattan. About four years ago, he noticed a spot on his arm. It became swollen and painful. Very, very painful. When he went to the doctor, he was told he had MRSA, a particularly serious staph infection.

"The only way I could have gotten it was from the gym," Bart says, "either from the equipment or in the steam room. I know it wasn’t form anything else, because I hadn’t been playing around."

A few months ago, MRSA made front pages when a study was released that seemed to point the finger at gay men as being particularly susceptible to MRSA. But the research study’s authors quickly backed away from that conclusion and claimed that the media had misinterpreted its findings.

What is known is that MRSA is a particularly virulent form of staph that has indeed made inroads in the gay world in recent years. While it has taken a toll generally--100,000 cases with a scary 25 percent of those cases resulting in death--gay me have been coming down with MRSA in large numbers.

Experts attribute this a few factors. First of all, let’s face it: It’s true that many gay men have more sex than some other people. And MRSA can be transmitted through sexual contact, just as it can from any skin-on-skin contact.

Also, MRSA is one of the many diseases that HIV-positive people are more likely to contract. Gay men also like to go to the gym and are known to frequent steam rooms and saunas--all excellent carriers of MRSA.

Dr. Douglas Gurley, an Atlanta doctor with a mostly gay practice, points to shaving the groin, which exposes it to infection. And finally, gay men are more proactive in their health, so they notice and get treated for MRSA.

Those are the facts. Now on to the fiction.

Gay Men NOT More Likely to Get MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is the formal name for this terrible infection. "Methicillin," because that was the first, best-known treatment that didn’t work against this fast-moving bug. Counter to what you may have read or heard, however, MRSA is indeed treatable through various combinations of antibiotics and other drugs.

But that’s only one of many gross inaccuracies surrounding MRSA. Data from gay-dominant clinics in San Francisco and Boston were compiled in the original study that caused the fracas that brought MRSA to public attention last year. NPR and The New York Times both covered the study, giving it an imprimatur of credibility (the Times’ headline read "New bacteria strain is striking gay men"); unfortunately, both media interpreted the study as saying that gay men were responsible for the spread of MRSA.

Right-wing groups like Focus on the Family jumped on the study and the resultant news reports like flies on honey. Concerned Women of America issued a dire warning that gay men were once again inflicting a worldwide plague of a communicable disease with no known cure. Some "pundits" called for isolating gay men or at least making sure as much as possible that they didn’t come into sexual contact with each other.

Many gay men and others wearily saw this as a return to the hysteria of the early 1980s. But despite warnings of another pandemic on the horizon, all doctors and researchers agree that gay sex is no more of a risk than any other skin-to-skin contact.

But a London newspaper went head and termed MRSA "the new HIV." Reuters, perhaps the most respected newsgathering service in the world, headlined its coverage "Drug-resistant staph passed in gay sex."

The original study’s authors shifted blame to one green assistant who authored the report. "We’ve been hearing about MRSA for decades in all people--men, women, young, old, gay, straight," explained Dr. Melissa Marx. Marx, a specialist in the New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

She was speaking at a packed open meeting at the city’s LGBT Center--one of many held at LGBT centers around the country to inform the public about the real nature of the disease.

Antibiotics and MRSA

2009-03-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Antibiotic Selection for Infections Involving Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus CME/CE

CME in this activity indicates that it was developed according to ACCME guidelines and was certified for credit by one or more accredited CME or CE providers. Medscape cannot attest to the timeliness of expired CME activities.

This CME activity "Antibiotic Selection for Infections Involving Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus" was originally offered as a monograph certified for CME.

Contents of This CME/CE Activity
Antibiotic Selection for Infections Involving Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
by John G. Bartlett, MD
Introduction
The Impact of MRSA
The Specter of Community-Acquired MRSA
Choosing Appropriate Therapy for MRSA
Alternatives to Vancomycin
Bactericidal vs Bacteriostatic Agents
Concerns With Bactericidal Testing Methods
Sometimes Static Is Better
Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Alternative
Conclusions
References

These educational activities, certified by accredited providers, were not prepared by Medscape's editors, but are made available on our site as a service to our audience.

Authors are routinely instructed by the provider to disclose significant financial relationships and mention of investigational drugs and unapproved indications. Medscape has received a fee for posting these activities. Direct questions or comments to: CME@webmd.net.

What is CA-MRSA? Update on antibiotic-resistant Staph aureus

2009-03-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

Update on antibiotic-resistant Staph aureus - New threats within the community

Staphylococcus aureus, or “staph” as it is sometimes called, is a common bacterium found on the skin or in the nose of ~25-30% of humans. While it is usually harmless, in certain instances it may cause moderate to severe skin infections. Less commonly, it causes more serious systemic infections e.g., bloodstream, surgical wound and pneumonia requiring hospitalization. One group of staph known as MRSA,(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) was first identified in the 1960’s, and is now prevalent in most hospitals.

The organisms are resistant to multiple antibiotics (specifically, all antibiotics known as beta lactams, as well as other antibiotic families), and are therefore cause for considerable concern. Because of resistance, vancomycin has often been the only drug able to successfully treat these MRSA infections. Swine Flu Affected Areas

A newer form of staph infection, known as CA-MRSA (for community-acquired, or community-associated Staphylococcus aureus) has appeared with increasing frequency and is now epidemic within certain community populations. Whereas hospital MRSA is almost always found in persons with established risk factors associated with prior medical treatment, these are not present in CA-MRSA.

Today, in the U.S. a little more than 10% of all MRSA infections are CA-MRSA. This form causes serious skin and soft tissue infections in otherwise healthy persons who have not been recently hospitalized or undergone invasive medical procedures. Hospitalization is required in approximately one out of five cases. CA-MRSA has been identified most frequently among specific populations, including prisoners, athletes, children, men who have sex with men, military recruits, Pacific Islanders, Alaskan Natives and Native Americans.

A major difference between the two types of MRSA is that the community form (CA-MRSA) possesses a potent toxin called Panton-Valentine leukocidin, which attacks infection-fighting white blood cells called leukocytes. The most serious form of CA-MRSA infection causes necrotizing fasciitis, a severe, rapidly progressing and life-threatening skin infection. The CA-MRSA are genetically distinguishable from hospital associated MRSA.

In the US, two clones (strains) of staph, called USA300 and USA400, are associated with the community MRSA (CA-MRSA). USA300 has emerged as the most prominent clone and is not found among hospital strains. It was not observed before the year 2000, when multiple other clones existed.

Treating MRSA. Treatment of MRSA skin infections is challenging. In some patients, skin ointments containing antibiotics, such as mupirocin or fusidic acid, can be used, but resistance to these can develop. Beta-lactam antibiotics (i.e., methicillin and oxacillin), which are typically used to treat common Staph aureus infections (such as furuncles, abscesses, and cellulitis), are ineffective. Unlike hospital MRSA, which is resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics, (including macrolides, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines and lincosamides), CA-MRSA is still susceptible to several antibiotic classes outside of the beta-lactam group (e.g., clindamycin).

In the hospital, because of multidrug resistance, intravenous vancomycin has become the drug of choice. Except for sporadic cases of vancomycin-resistant MRSA (VRSA), all MRSA are susceptible to this antibiotic. Unfortunately, the increasing use of vancomycin threatens to increase the VRSA problem.

Prevention

The spread of skin MRSA infections occurs most frequently through close, skin-to-skin contact (such as that found in contact sports), through contact with skin wounds (cuts, abrasions) and through contact with contaminated items, where staph can survive for 24 hours or more. The organisms can enter healthy, intact skin. Crowded living conditions and poor hygiene are factors which play a role in its spread. Currently, the only known means of prevention is through the following:

Prudent hygiene measures involving hand washing
Proper wound care, including proper disposal of bandages, and
Avoidance of sharing certain personal items such as towels and razors. Shared exercise equipment should be wiped down between users.

For more information on the various forms of MRSA, the risk factors involved and prevention advice, visit Centers for Disease Control:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/aresist/ca_mrsa.htm

Also see: APUA Newsletter, Focus CA-MRSA www.tufts.edu/med/apua/Newsletter/APUA_v21n2.pdf

MRSA Madness and Tomato Update

2009-03-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is here to stay. Although it is most problematic in healthcare settings, particularly hospitals, it is present in the "community" as well, and therefore will become a consideration for outdoor and wilderness enthusiasts.

In mid-April (2008), the following press release appeared:

One in Every 20 Healthcare Workers Is (a) MRSA Carrier
By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today

GENEVA, April 15 -- One in every 20 healthcare workers carries methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, researchers here said.

This study suggests that healthcare workers sometimes play a role in the transmission of MRSA. But the vast majority is without symptoms and only 5.1% have full-blown clinical infections, according to Stephan Harbarth, M.D., of the University Hospitals of Geneva, and Werner Albrich, M.D., of University Hospital Bern.

One implication is that screening efforts aimed at symptomatic infections are likely to miss a large proportion of colonized healthcare workers who might transmit the bacteria, they wrote in a literature review in the May issue of Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Instead, they said, "aggressive screening and eradication policies" should be used in an outbreak and in situations where MRSA has not reached highly endemic levels.

The researchers looked at 127 studies published from January 1980 through March 2006, and on the basis of the published evidence, they concluded that healthcare workers are usually vectors, rather than the main sources of MRSA transmission, implying that "good hand hygiene practices remain essential to control the spread of MRSA."

4.6% of approximately 33,000 health care workers were carrying MRSA, the researchers found - usually in the nose, although other sites were found. Most (94.9%) of the carriers had no symptoms. Risk factors included chronic skin diseases, poor hygiene practices, and having worked in countries with endemic MRSA.

"Our search revealed 18 studies with proven and 26 studies with likely transmission to patients from healthcare workers who were not clinically infected with MRSA, the researchers said. That finding suggested that a recent recommendation that screening efforts focus on healthcare workers with symptomatic infection is likely to miss the boat.

"Staphylococcal dispersal is mainly dependent on whether the person is a nasal carrier," they said, so that "screening of infected healthcare workers only will likely miss a large number of asymptomatic personnel capable of transmitting MRSA to patients. They added that MRSA screening - and treatment to eradicate colonies of the bacteria - "should always be part of a comprehensive infection control policy including staff education and emphasizing high compliance with hand hygiene and contact precautions."

It's also important to avoid "feelings of guilt or stigmatization" among those found to be colonized, they said. "In analogy to needle-stick injuries, MRSA carriage or infection in a healthcare worker should be considered an occupational hazard," they said.

MRSA has been around since the 1960s and 1970s, when S. aureus developed resistance to the types of "semi-synthetic" penicillin (such as methicillin) used to treat the infection. Because the antibiotic vancomycin has been fairly effective against MRSA, and because there are other antibiotics, such as daptomycin, liezolid, tigecycline, and developmental drugs, which are effective against MRSA, we do not have a germ run completely wild, but we definitely have an in-hospital surge in infections and increasing indications that MRSA is gradually increasing its prevalence outside of the hospital.

It has been estimated that the general population may carry MRSA on the skin or in the nose at a rate of anywhere from 1% to 30% of the group studied. However, it is important to point out that the real frequency in the community is unknown, so there is not yet a cause for panic, but rather, for rational recommendations, mostly around hand-washing, disinfection of common surfaces, and general hygiene.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the following risk factors apply:

1. High prevalence of MRSA in the local community
2. Recurrent skin disease
3. Crowded living conditions (e.g., military barracks)
4. Participation in contact sports (e.g., wrestling)
5. Member of Native American, Pacific Island, or Alaskan Native populations
6. Shaving of body hair
7. Sharing equipment that is in prolonged contact with skin (e.g., paddling jacket)

Ten years ago, when an abscess was drained in the emergency department, it was considered unnecessary to send a sample of the pus or discharge from a wound for a culture to determine which bacteria might be present. Today, it is much more reasonable to do this to determine the presence or absence of MRSA.

Personal hygiene is very important, particularly if you come in contact with infected skin. It is essential to do full hand-washing with soap and water, and also to consider utilizing disinfectant gel. If you use a disinfectant soap, be sure to allow sufficient contact time with the skin - up to 3 minutes is fine before rinsing, rather than a quick scrub and rinse. Clothes that are put through a hot cycle are generally safe - on the trail, try to use very hot water to wash clothing, of course taking care to avoid any skin burns.

Tomatoes and Salmonella Update

The FDA has announced that it has lifted its Salmonella warning on tomatoes. The agency advises that people at highest risk for the illness, including the immunocompromised and elders, should avoid raw jalapeno and serrano peppers. The message here is that no definitive food source culprit has been identified for this particular outbreak of Salmonella infections. I recommend that all people use prudent handling techniques whenever preparing and serving food.

Successful MRSA Wound Disinfection Study Announced By Ondine

2009-03-15T17:06:00.001-07:00

Ondine Biopharma Corporation (TSX:OBP)(AIM:OBP) (the "Company") announced publication of a study demonstrating the first successful decontamination of heavily MRSA-infected wounds in animals. The study was carried out by a team of collaborative researchers at the University College London, UK, and utilized Ondine's MRSAidTM photodisinfection system which is currently under development.

"The MRSAidTM photodisinfection system builds upon our successful PeriowaveTM technology for treatment of periodontal disease," stated Dr. Cale Street, Ondine's Vice President of Research. "The MRSAidTM system was designed to rapidly decolonize the noses of patients carrying the MRSA superbug, reducing the rate of MRSA transmission by a patient to their own surgical incisions as well as to other patients and healthcare workers.

In this published work, a team of internationally recognized researchers demonstrated for the first time in vivo photodynamic elimination of the epidemic strain of MRSA that is now unfortunately so common in the UK and elsewhere."

"This work is important for several reasons," stated Professor Michael Wilson, Division of Microbial Disease, University College London. "For one, it is a completely novel approach to disinfection of burns and wounds contaminated with the potentially lethal MRSA bacterium. Second, photodynamic disinfection is very unlikely to generate resistance to the treatment that commonly occurs when antibiotics are used.

The treatment stays effective time after time. And third, perhaps most important, the treatment is fast. This does not require a course of antibiotics lasting days or weeks. In this study, we were able to reduce MRSA counts by 25-fold in only 30 minutes despite the presence of blood, serum and other wound exudates - with no negative side effects.

We look forward to seeing this breakthrough technology deployed in our hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions as a first line of defense against this alarming pathogen."

About Ondine Biopharma Corporation

Ondine is developing non-antibiotic therapies for the treatment of a broad spectrum of bacterial, fungal and viral infections. The Company is focused on developing leading edge products utilizing its patented light-activated technology. Photodisinfection provides broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy without encouraging the formation and spread of antibiotic resistance.

The Company is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with a research and development laboratory in Bothell, Washington, USA, and an international office in St. Michael, Barbados. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at: http://www.ondinebiopharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this release containing words like "believe", "intend", "may", "expect" and other similar expressions, are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the Company's forward-looking statements include the following: market acceptance of our technologies and products;

our ability to obtain financing; our financial and technical resources relative to those of our competitors; our ability to keep up with rapid technological change; government regulation of our technologies; our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights and protect our proprietary technologies;

the ability to obtain and develop partnership opportunities; the timing of commercial product launches; the ability to achieve key technical milestones in key products and other risk factors identified from time to time in the Company's public filings.

Faster Acting Drugs Needed To Combat MRSA

2009-03-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

MRSA expert Dr Bill Love has called for the NHS to use faster acting drugs to implement Sir Richard Branson's proposal for MRSA screening for hospital staff. Dr Love's drug development company Destiny Pharma is currently undertaking clinical trials for a new anti-MRSA drug codenamed XF-73 which aims to allow a faster eradication of the hospital 'Superbug'.

In his role as Vice President of the Patients Association, Sir Richard Branson is campaigning for all hospital staff to be regularly screened for MRSA and treated immediately if found to be carrying the Superbug. Despite discouraging reactions from the British Medical Association, Dr Love has given his support to the campaign in a statement released today.

One of the main objections to screening and decolonising staff MRSA carriers is that it can take up to two weeks to effect MRSA eradication and taking staff off wards for this long would put massive pressure on NHS resources. Dr Love argues that this could be overcome with faster-acting drugs that could eradicate MRSA in a much shorter period. In addition, the new drug, XF-73, has shown to have continued effectiveness against MRSA after multiple exposures, indicating MRSA may find it hard to become resistant to this new drug's action. Therefore XF-73 could be used in a more widespread fashion allowing for a greater proportion of MRSA carriers in hospitals to be cleared of the Superbug, and assist in reducing MRSA infections even further.

This addition to the debate on hospital infections comes just before the NHS' deadline for implementing MRSA screening of patients. Back in October 2007 the Government promised that all hospital patients would be screened for MRSA as part of standard procedure by March 2009. Results of this roll out are yet to be released so it is not known whether the Government has managed to meet its target. So far this intervention seems to be having a positive impact on the number of MRSA infections, albeit there is still a long way to go.

Dr Bill Love commented:

"Eradication of MRSA from patients must be the first priority. Once this is in place the next logical step to quickly lower MRSA transmission and infection rates is to screen hospital staff for MRSA and treat them immediately if they are found to be carriers.

All of the people who have opposed Sir Richard Branson's proposal have done so on the grounds of the impracticality and cost involved in putting members of hospital staff out of action for two weeks. Yet effective MRSA decolonisation does not need to take two or even one week to effect - this is just the treatment protocol for the drugs that are currently available. Better drugs are needed alongside a commitment to screening."

Derek Butler, Chair of MRSA Action UK added:

"I have seen for myself the devastation infections like MRSA can have on people and families and we welcome the screening program introduced by the Government. We do however have concerns that the screening program may be brought to a halt in the not to distant future because of the growing resistance to existing treatments and the lack of new drugs for decolonisation available to combat this bacteria.

History has shown that bacteria are the best bio-chemists on the planet and that they quickly adapt to prolonged use of treatments, this is why we welcome new drugs such as XF-73.

We believe universal screening of all patients for MRSA is having a positive effect in bringing down MRSA rates. However we must not take our eye off the ball, and instead concentrate our efforts to screen both patients and staff for MRSA so that we can help to eradicate as much as possible this scourge in our hospitals.

About Destiny Pharma

Destiny Pharma focuses on the discovery and early-stage development of innovative antimicrobial drugs up to clinical proof of concept. The company was founded in 1997 by its chief executive officer Dr. Bill Love. From its base in Sussex Destiny has built an international collaborative network with world-class opinion leaders and research institutions. http://www.destinypharma.com

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a variety of the bacterium S. aureus that has developed resistance to the antibiotic methicillin. MRSA is classified as healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) if it originates in healthcare facilities or community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) if it originates in the community. MRSA infections are very difficult to treat as new strains are emerging that are resistant to antibiotics usually reserved for treating MRSA infections. In the UK 1,600 people die from MRSA infections annually.

The emergence of CA-MRSA is a major new problem as it occurs in otherwise healthy individuals who have no recognised risk factors associated with MRSA, for example no previous hospitalisation or prolonged antibiotic treatment. CA-MRSA infection often occurs among people in close physical proximity at risk of cuts and abrasions, for example; children in playgroups or nurseries, athletes and male homosexuals. Although CA-MRSA is still relatively rare in the UK, eight separate outbreaks in hospitals or schools have been reported in the UK and Ireland in the last year, three of which resulted in fatalities.

More information about Destiny Pharma's XF series

The XF compounds are bactericidal rather than bacteriostatic; killing the bacteria instead of just limiting population growth. Studies to date have observed a remarkably rapid speed of kill. This speed is significant because it takes S. aureus cells between 20 and 30 minutes to divide. A drug with rapid efficacy could leave bacteria no time to develop resistance.

Staphylococcus Aureus Infection

2009-03-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

Bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus are gram-positive cocci that are microscopically observed as individual organisms, in pairs, and in irregular, grapelike clusters. The term Staphylococcus is derived from the Greek term staphyle, meaning "a bunch of grapes." Staphylococci are nonmotile, non–spore-forming, and catalase-positive bacteria.

The cell wall contains peptidoglycan and teichoic acid. The organisms are resistant to temperatures as high as 50°C, to high salt concentrations, and to drying. Colonies are usually large (6-8 mm in diameter), smooth, and translucent. The colonies of most strains are pigmented, ranging from cream-yellow to orange.

The ability to clot plasma continues to be the most widely used and generally accepted criterion for the identification of Staphylococcus aureus. One such factor, bound coagulase, also known as clumping factor, reacts with fibrinogen to cause organisms to aggregate. Another factor, extracellular staphylocoagulase, reacts with prothrombin to form staphylothrombin, which can convert fibrinogen to fibrin. Approximately 97% of human S aureus isolates possess both of these forms of coagulase.

Staphylococcus Aureus Infection is ubiquitous and may be a part of human flora found in the axillae, the inguinal and perineal areas, and the anterior nares. In 2001, von Eiff et al described 3 patterns of carriage: those who always carry a strain, those who carry the organism intermittently with changing strains, and a minority of people who never carry S aureus.1 Persistent carriage is more common in children than in adults.

Wenzel and Perl (1995) found that, among healthy adults, carrier rates of 11-32% were detected in the general population, and a prevalence of 25% was detected in hospital personnel.2 Using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for molecular typing, von Eiff et al (2001) found that, in most patients with S aureus bacteremia, the isolate from the patient's blood is identical to that found in the anterior nares.1 Curiously, community-associated methicillin-resistant S aureus (CA-MRSA) is rarely found in the anterior nares; rather, it colonizes the skin, particularly in the perineal area. It may also colonize the pharynx, gut, and vagina.

Pathophysiology
The organism may cause disease through tissue invasion and toxin production. The toxins liberated by the organism may have effects at sites distant from the focus of infection or colonization.

Tissue invasion
The postulated sequence of events that leads to infection is initiated with carriage of the organism. The organism is then disseminated via hand carriage to body sites where infection may occur (either through overt breaks in dermal surfaces, such as vascular catheterization or operative incisions, or through less evident breakdown in barrier function, such as eczema or shaving-associated microtrauma).

The hallmark of staphylococcal infection is the abscess, which consists of a fibrin wall surrounded by inflamed tissues enclosing a central core of pus containing organisms and leukocytes. From this focus of infection, the organisms may be disseminated hematogenously, even from the smallest abscess. The ability to elaborate proteolytic enzymes facilitates the process. This may result in pneumonia, bone and joint infection, and infection of the heart valves. In immunocompromised hosts (eg, patients with cancer who are neutropenic and have a central venous line), 20-30% develop serious complications or fatal sepsis following catheter-related S aureus bacteremia.

Persistent deep-seated infections have now been linked to small-colony variants of the organism. This population is more resistant to antibiotics and grows slowly. These organisms have been described in patients with cystic fibrosis and may contribute to the persistence of S aureus in these patients.

Toxin-mediated disease
The organism may also elaborate toxins that can cause specific diseases or syndromes. Enterotoxin-producing strains of S aureus cause one of the most common food-borne illnesses. The most common presentation is acute onset of vomiting and watery diarrhea 2-6 hours after ingestion. The symptoms are usually self-limited. The cause is the proliferation of toxin-producing organisms in uncooked or partially cooked food that an individual carrying the staphylococci has contaminated.

A rare but well-described disorder in neonates and young children is staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (Ritter disease). The organism produces an exfoliative toxin produced by strains belonging to phage group II. Initial features include fever, erythema, and blisters, which eventually rupture and leave a red base. Gentle shearing forces on intact skin cause the upper epidermis to slip at a plane of cleavage in the skin, which is known as the Nikolsky sign. How the exfoliative toxins produce epidermal splitting has not been fully elucidated.

The most feared manifestation of S aureus toxin production is toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Although first described in children, it was most frequently associated with women using tampons during menstruation. Since the early 1990s, at least half of the cases have not been associated with menstruation. The syndrome is associated with strains that produce the exotoxin TSST-1, but strains that produce enterotoxins B and C may cause 50% of cases of nonmenstrual TSS. These toxins are superantigens, T-cell mitogens that bind directly to invariant regions of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules, causing an expansion of clonal T cells, followed by a massive release of cytokines. This cytokine release mediates the TSS; the resultant pathophysiology mimics that of endotoxic shock.

In a recent worldwide trend, the proportion of infections caused by CA-MRSA has increased. Initially noted in tertiary care centers, these infections are now increasingly common in the community. Resistance to methicillin confers resistance to all penicillinase-resistant penicillins and cephalosporins. This high level of resistance requires the mec gene that encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a. This protein has decreased binding affinity for most penicillins and cephalosporins. Methicillin resistance has a wide variety of phenotypic expression. Heterogeneous resistance, recognized in the first clinical isolates described, is the typical phenotype. In this case, all cells carry the genetic markers of resistance but only a small fraction of them express the phenotype. Less frequent is homogenous resistance, with a single population of cells that are inhibited only through high concentrations of antibiotics.

Methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) was initially described in hospitalized populations. University affiliation and greater number of beds were institutional risk factors. In pediatric centers, number of beds, region, and metropolitan population correlated with increased risk. Since 1996, more patients with CA-MRSA have been described. The strains isolated from these patients are different from typical nosocomial organisms in their susceptibility patterns and in their PFGE characteristics. A clonal population, designated USA-300, has become the predominant circulating organism in most communities. Many of these strains produce the Panton-Valentine leukocidin, which is associated with a tendency to produce abscesses, invasiveness, thrombogenesis, and morbidity and mortality.

More recently, S aureus that is intermediately resistant to vancomycin has been reported in 2 hospitalized patients, which suggests that full resistance to vancomycin may eventually emerge.3 Although the possibility of interspecies transfer of vancomycin-resistance genes from vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus was originally considered as the cause of this phenomenon, none of the species isolated have carried vanA, vanB, vanC1, vanC2, or vanC3 genes. Of note, the clinical isolates with intermediate resistance to vancomycin were from patients who had undergone prolonged vancomycin therapy for MRSA. Morphologically, these isolates were found to have increased extracellular material associated with the cell wall that may have been selected for during a prolonged antibiotic course.

Frequency
United States
Numbers of both community-associated and hospital-acquired infections have increased in the past 20 years. From 1990-1992, data from the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that S aureus was the most common cause of nosocomial pneumonia and operative wound infections and the second most common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections.

Frequency of antibiotic resistance: In a disturbing trend, antibiotic resistance among these isolates has increased because of antibiotic pressure. Currently, less than 5% of clinical isolates remain sensitive to penicillin. Resistance to penicillin was reported as early as 1942 and is mediated by beta-lactamase, a serine protease that hydrolyzes the lactam ring. In the 1980s, MRSA emerged as a prominent hospital-based infection; consequently, the use of vancomycin increased. A CDC survey revealed that the proportion of methicillin-resistant isolates with sensitivity only to vancomycin increased from 22.8% in 1987 to 56.2% in 1997.4

Mortality/Morbidity
Morbidity and mortality from S aureus infection widely varies depending on the clinical entity. Although mortality is low in children with scalded skin syndrome, most fatalities are associated with delay in diagnosis.

Sex
The male-to-female ratio of skeletal infections is 2:1, mostly because boys are more likely to experience traumatic events.

Clinical
History
Skin and soft tissue (impetigo): Typically, this starts as a small area of erythema that progresses into bullae (filled with cloudy fluid) that rupture and heal with the formation of a honey-colored crust. Although group A Streptococcus was once considered the primary agent, Staphylococcus aureus has become the major pathogen since the 1980s. S aureus exclusively causes bullous impetigo, which is observed less frequently in the United States. This form of disease seems to arise from healthy-appearing skin. The bullae rupture, leaving a denuded area with a varnish-like coating.

Scalded skin syndrome (Ritter disease): An exfoliative toxin (see Toxin-mediated disease) causes this relatively rare syndrome, which takes the form of superficial fragile blisters that burst, leaving a tender base. The patient is often febrile and, occasionally, has mucopurulent eye discharge. This diagnosis should be made carefully, because scalded skin syndrome may be mistaken for erythema multiforme or toxic epidermal necrolysis, which can be treated with corticosteroids. Misdiagnosis delays treatment and allows exfoliation to progress, and corticosteroid therapy may potentiate bacterial superinfection. Although the mortality rate is low in children with this entity, most fatalities are associated with delay in diagnosis.

Folliculitis, furuncle, and carbuncle: These are increasingly severe staphylococcal skin infections. Folliculitis is a tender pustule that involves the hair follicle. A furuncle involves both the skin and the subcutaneous tissues in areas with hair follicles, such as the neck, axillae, and buttocks. They are actually small abscesses characterized by exuding purulent material from a single opening. A carbuncle is an aggregate of connected furuncles and has several pustular openings. Skin infections may be self-limited, but they can also disseminate hematogenously and cause life-threatening septicemia.

Bone infections (osteomyelitis)
Children often present with sudden onset of fever and bony tenderness or a limp. The pain may be throbbing and severe; however, presentation in neonates can be subtle. Infants may appear well except for failure to move an extremity or pain on movement. Redness or swelling indicates that infection has spread into the subperiosteal space. Rupture of a focus of osteomyelitis into joint space can result in septic arthritis. This is often observed in neonates.

Children with vertebral osteomyelitis present with back pain, and those younger than 3 years present with refusal to walk or with a limp. Occasionally, children with vertebral osteomyelitis present with incontinence. Children with discitis tend to present with less fever and often appear less ill than children with vertebral osteomyelitis.

Septic arthritis: Typical findings include decreased range of motion, warmth, erythema, and tenderness of the joint with constitutional symptoms and fever. Infants (in whom the hip is the most commonly involved joint) are an exception, as these signs may be absent. The child typically lies with the involved joint abducted and externally rotated. Because pain fibers are located within the joint capsule, movements that compress the head of the femur into the acetabulum (eg, changing a diaper) cause pain. A portal of infection is almost never found, and the infection is nearly always unilateral. Patients with infection of the sacroiliac joint present with tenderness elicited during digital rectal examination and with pain during flexion, abduction, and external rotation of the hip.

Endocarditis: The initial presentation of patients with S aureus endocarditis is fever and malaise. However, the disease has a more rapid onset than that caused by less virulent pathogens. Notably, on initial presentation, the usual physical stigmata are absent. Endocarditis may also involve healthy valves. For more detail, please see Endocarditis, Bacterial.

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS)
Staphylococcal TSS is a potentially life-threatening systemic bacterial intoxication. Case definition includes fever, diffuse macular erythema, and hypotension, with involvement of 3 or more of the following organ systems:

GI - Emesis or diarrhea appears at the time of illness. Diarrhea is secretory and profuse, and is found in almost all patients with TSS but is uncommon in patients in septic shock.

Muscular - Severe myalgia or elevated creatine kinase (CK) levels are observed. Myalgia may be one of the earliest manifestations of the disease.

Renal - Elevation of BUN or creatinine levels or more than 5 WBCs per high-power field in the absence of a urinary tract infection is observed.

Hepatic levels of bilirubin, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (aspartate aminotransferase), and serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (alanine aminotransferase) are twice the upper limit of the reference range.

Hematologic – The platelet count is less than 100,000/ μ L.

Nervous system – Features include disorientation and alteration in consciousness with the absence of focal neurologic signs when fever and hypotension are absent.

A probable case of TSS involves 5 of the above 6 findings.

A confirmed case of TSS involves all 6 findings.

The most striking aspect of the disease is the rapidity with which it can progress in a previously healthy individual of any age. This is especially true in postsurgical patients, particularly following nasal surgery, because this is an area commonly colonized with S aureus. Late-onset dermatologic findings include a red and pruritic maculopapular rash, desquamation of the fingers and toes, and telogen effluvium (see Toxic Shock Syndrome).

Pneumonia: Cases of rapidly progressive and fatal staphylococcal pneumonia still occur, although they were much more common in the 1950s and early 1960s, when S aureus phage type 80/81 caused frequent disease in infants. Staphylococcal pneumonia most commonly occurs in infants, young children, and patients who are debilitated. This is a rapidly progressive disease. Patients with primary staphylococcal pneumonia present with a short prodrome of fever followed by rapid onset of respiratory distress, which may include tachypnea, retractions, and cyanosis. Patients may also have prominent GI tract symptoms. Staphylococcal pneumonia may also develop after influenza infection, which seems to occur preferentially among young adults (in whom mortality reaches 50%). Typically, the child seems to recover from a febrile illness only to once again develop an increasing fever and the symptoms mentioned above.

Thrombophlebitis: Usually occurring in a hospitalized patient, thrombophlebitis is characterized by fever, pain, and, occasionally, erythema at the insertion site of an intravenous catheter. Occasionally, pus is expressed. Severe suppurative thrombophlebitis may occur in burn patients, with fewer than half of diagnoses made while the patients are alive.

Deep tissue abscess and infection: Muscles (myositis and pyomyositis) and organs can become infected, including the parotid gland, eyes, liver, spleen, and kidneys. These infections typically cause fever with or without localizing pain.

Physical
Skin and soft tissue (impetigo): The infection initially appears as a small area of erythema. Bullae (ie, blister-like lesions filled with cloudy fluid) appear as the disease progresses. As bullae heal, a honey-colored crust develops.

Scalded skin syndrome (Ritter disease): Examination reveals superficial, fragile blisters that burst, leaving a tender base. Skin sloughs easily when touched, a condition termed the Nikolsky sign. Fever is often present, and mucopurulent eye discharge may be observed. As discussed above, the infection is often mistaken for erythema multiforme or toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Misdiagnosis must be avoided.

Folliculitis, furuncle, and carbuncle: Folliculitis is the appearance of a tender pustule involving a hair follicle. A furuncle is an apparent small abscess that exudes purulent material from a single opening. A carbuncle is an aggregate of furuncles with several openings.

Bone infections (osteomyelitis): Fever, bony tenderness, or a limp indicate bone infections. Infants may appear well except for failure to move an extremity or pain on movement. Children with vertebral osteomyelitis present with back pain, and those younger than 3 years present with refusal to walk or with a limp. Occasionally, children with vertebral osteomyelitis have incontinence as a presenting symptom. Children with discitis tend to present with less fever and often appear less ill than children with vertebral osteomyelitis.

Septic arthritis: Examination reveals warmth, erythema, and tenderness of the joint. Constitutional symptoms and fever are frequently observed. These findings may be absent in an infant. Children with infection of the sacroiliac joint present with tenderness elicited during digital rectal examination.

Endocarditis: The clinical syndrome widely varies and may involve multiple organs. S aureus infection usually results in an acute course but may involve subacute disease. Most patients present with high fever. Chills and sweats and a new or worsened murmur may occur. Peripheral emboli such as Osler nodes, subungual hemorrhages, Janeway lesions, and Roth spots may be present. Other embolic phenomena may occur.

TSS: TSS involves a fever of 38.9°C or higher. Hypotension occurs, either with blood pressure below the fifth percentile for age or with an orthostatic (lying to sitting) drop in diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 15 mm Hg. A diffuse, erythroderma-like rash is present. Conjunctival or vaginal hyperemia may be present. Patients may have altered sensorium, even when normotensive, or may be delirious, disoriented, or agitated without focal signs. Reddened lips and tongue may be observed. Later, on recovery, desquamation of hands and feet may occur; occasionally, alopecia occurs later.

Pneumonia: Fever is present. Findings of respiratory distress include tachypnea, cyanosis, grunting, and retractions. Vomiting and abdominal distension occur. Clinical deterioration is rapid.

Thrombophlebitis: Patients usually have a fever and, occasionally, have cutaneous involvement such as erythema, induration, or tenderness. Occasionally, pus is expressed at the insertion site of the catheter. The exit site often does not show signs of infection. Establishing infection of an intravascular device as the cause of fever in a hospitalized patient is a diagnosis of exclusion.

Deep tissue abscess and infection: Localizing tenderness may be present, as may signs of inflammation.

Causes
Skin and soft tissue (impetigo): Often occurring in young children, impetigo is spread within families and through close physical contact. Impetigo is more prevalent in warm, humid climates because of more opportunities for insect bites and cutaneous trauma. Impetigo may also be a complication of varicella. Diagnosis is usually made based on the characteristic appearance of the lesions. Bullous impetigo may also occur in endemic and epidemic patterns. Nursery outbreaks have been described, and some cases in infants have progressed to scalded skin syndrome or Ritter disease (described in History).

Folliculitis, furuncle, and carbuncle: Recurrent staphylococcal skin infections develop in certain patients, such as those with impaired neutrophil function (eg, those with chronic granulomatous disease), patients with atopy and chronic eczema, and those with impaired circulation and diabetes mellitus. However, most patients with recurrent furunculosis are colonized with CA-MRSA but are otherwise healthy. Thus, an evaluation of the immune system in these individuals is seldom useful.

Bone and joint infections (osteomyelitis): Osteomyelitis typically occurs in children prior to the age of epiphyseal closure. Osteomyelitis typically originates in the metaphysis of long bones in the region of most rapid growth. Osteomyelitis usually involves (in order of frequency) the lower end of the femur, the upper end of the tibia and humerus, and the radius. Most bone and joint infections result from hematogenous spread, but significant blunt trauma is a preceding event in approximately one third of cases. In addition, penetrating wounds, compound fractures, and orthopedic appliances may introduce microbial infection directly into bone. Notably, the male-to-female ratio of skeletal infections is 2:1, mostly because boys are more likely to experience traumatic events.

Septic arthritis: Staphylococci are frequent etiologic agents of septic arthritis and, since the era of successful vaccination for Haemophilus influenzae, are now more predominant in younger age groups . Bacteria can enter the joint space through hematogenous spread, direct inoculation, or contiguous spread of infection. Because the synovial membrane has a high effective blood flow, a large number of bacteria may be delivered to the joint during a period of bacteremia. Inoculation can occur when a joint is punctured with a contaminated object, and many clinical studies reveal that the knee is more likely to be punctured. In the postantibiotic era, contiguous spread has been rare, with the exception of neonatal osteomyelitis.

Endocarditis: Fortunately, S aureus endocarditis is rare in pediatric patients.

It often involves adolescent intravenous drug users who do not have antecedent valvular disease. These patients usually present with right-sided disease with evidence of pulmonary disease, such as pulmonary abscesses or shifting infiltrates. In children with preexisting heart disease, endocarditis is often temporally related to cardiac surgery or catheterization. Children with prosthetic valves are particularly vulnerable because of the organism’s propensity to adhere to foreign materials. In addition, patients with indwelling vascular access devices are at risk, because infections from the skin can seed the catheter.

TSS
Infection with toxin-producing S aureus in the absence of protective antibody is an antecedent. Younger patients may be at increased risk because they lack the protective antibodies to the enterotoxins and other exotoxins responsible for producing this clinical syndrome. However, other factors may be involved; Jacobsen et al (1989) demonstrated in a small study that not all patients without antibody develop true TSS when infected with a toxin-producing strain of the organism.5

Approximately 25% of all S aureus strains are toxigenic, and, at any time, roughly 4-10% of healthy individuals are colonized with these strains. In the 1980s, the disease was associated with the use of highly absorbent tampons in women during menstruation. Currently, many cases observed are nonmenstrual (eg, localized infections, surgery, infected varicella lesions, insect bites), and these now account for one third of all cases. These patients carry a higher mortality rate than those with menstrual TSS.

Pneumonia: The primary form occurs without an extrapulmonary focus, presumably through direct inoculation to the lungs, and the secondary form results from hematogenous seeding of the lungs during endocarditis or bacteremia. Predisposing factors include infancy, chronic illness, and viral respiratory disease such as influenza. Patients with head injury and trauma who have nasopharyngeal carriage of S aureus are at increased risk of S aureus pneumonia.

Thrombophlebitis: The causes are associated with infusion, including infected intravenous catheters and needles. The common point of entry for infection related to intravascular devices is the insertion site along the outside of the device.

Deep tissue abscess and infection: These typically result from hematogenous seeding, although myositis or pyomyositis can result from contiguous spread of infection and endophthalmitis can follow trauma (injury or iatrogenic), for example.

The differential diagnoses of staphylococcal infections include the following:

Impetigo - None
Bullous impetigo
Pemphigus
Pemphigoid
Burn
Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Dermatitis herpetiformis
Scalded skin syndrome (Ritter disease)
Nonaccidental injury
Scalding
Abrasion trauma
Sunburn
Erythema multiforme
Toxic epidermal necrolysis
Bone and joint infections
Bone infarction (in patients with sickle cell disease)
Toxic synovitis
Leukemia
Septic arthritis
Trauma
Deep cellulitis
Henoch-Schönlein purpura
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
Leukemia
Toxic synovitis
Metabolic diseases affecting joints (Ochronosis)
Endocarditis - Bacteremia
TSS
Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome
Meningococcemia
Rubeola
Adenoviral infections
Dengue fever
Severe allergic drug reactions

MRSA Infection Claims

2009-03-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

If you or a member of your family has contracted MRSA during a stay in hospital, and you believe that this disease might have been caused because of the hospital’s clinical negligence, our specialist personal injury lawyers may be able to help you claim compensation. Contact us today on 0800 032 8511 for claim advice, or by completing a claim enquiry form.

About MRSA
A usually harmless bacteria, MRSA, or Methycillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, can cause a number of infections if it enters the body. Methycillin is a type of penicillin and is used as an antibiotic drug.

The MRSA bacteria is fairly common and can be found on up to 30% of people, on the skin or in the nose. For healthy individuals, the bacteria does not normally pose a risk, however those that are unwell or have a deep wound are at an increased risk of developing an infection. Generally MRSA affects hospital patients, in particular those that have undergone surgery or have a weak immune system.

An infection can be caused when the bacteria enters a person’s system, for example through a drip site or wound. The type of infection caused can vary, from abscesses or septic wounds to life threatening infections of the bloodstream.

Symptoms of MRSA Infection
Dependent upon whether the MRSA bacteria has caused a skin infection or entered the bloodstream, the symptoms and severity of infection that a sufferer may experience can vary. Examples of problems that can occur include:

Skin abscesses
Cellulitis
Boils
Impetigo
Wound infection and discharge
Delayed wound healing
Septicaemia
Pneumonia
Infections of the heart lining
Septic shock

With some more serious infections, patients can experience symptoms such as fever, tiredness and joint pain. Swabs and sometimes blood or urine samples can be used to diagnose an MRSA infection.

MRSA Treatment
Most cases of MRSA can be treated with certain types of strong antibiotics. This can be a long process however and can often involve a lengthy stay in hospital.

A full recovery is usually possible, however sometimes a patient will be left with long term effects such as scarring. Unfortunately, serious cases of MRSA infection can also be fatal.

Preventing the Spread of MRSA Infection
MRSA can be spread through skin contact, via towels and bedsheets or through contact with equipment. It is therefore very important that hygiene and cleanliness standards are made a priority.

A large number of MRSA cases are caused by insufficient hygiene measures in hospitals. Procedures such as stringent hand washing by hospital staff, the regular cleaning of wards with suitable disinfectants and full use of disposable gloves and gowns are all simple but effective ways of preventing the spread of infection.

Generally, all wounds should be kept clean and covered where possible and anyone known to be infected should be isolated from other patients. Hospitals should have a policy on how to deal with MRSA.

Making a Clinical Negligence Claim
If you have been affected by MRSA, it is important to seek prompt legal advice from a specialist personal injury lawyer. They can collate all of the necessary information and evidence to bring your claim and advise you on the best way forward.

You should try to record as much information as possible, including details of any medical treatment you have received and any expenses you have incurred relating to your injury/illness.

In every case, medical evidence will be required and it is necessary to show that the person you are making a claim against owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty of care (were negligent), and that the injury or illness you sustained was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of that negligence.

Compensation
There are two elements to a compensation award.

The first, called general damages, is for the pain and suffering you may have gone through and any loss of amenity (perhaps an inability to wash your car, look after your garden, walk the dog). The award for loss of amenity can be for a short period after you develop MRSA or for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.

Whereas the first element of compensation cannot make you better and can only really apologise for the damage done, the second element of a compensation award for your losses and expenses, is known as special damages and aims to put you back in the same position financially as if MRSA infection had never occurred. It is important to remember to keep receipts for any expenditure you have incurred related to the illness, so that any losses or expenses can be reclaimed as part of your compensation claim.

In serious cases, where a person may no longer be able to continue their employment, this will be taken into account. Costs for care, equipment, transport and housing modifications can also be factored into the calculations. If the injured person is still able to work but not in the same role as before, particularly if they held a public service role such as a doctor or police officer, an extra amount may be awarded for loss of ‘congenial employment’. A court can also make a financial award to recognise that an injured worker's prospects on the open labour market may be limited.

If a person is fatally injured, a dependent relative such as a widow and children may be able to claim a statutory sum for their bereavement and funeral expenses, in addition to sums for the loss of income and contribution to the household in the form of future losses.

Our Clinical Negligence Lawyers
The Legal Line lawyers are experts in all areas of personal injury, with extensive experience in recovering compensation for the victims of MRSA infections caused by medical negligence. They can provide specialist claim advice, assistance and guidance in helping you to pursue your claim to the best possible outcome.

MRSA Compensation Claim

2009-03-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Making an MRSA compensation claim with Irwin Mitchell

Staphylococcus Aureus often referred to simply as "staph", is a bacteria commonly found on the skin and in the noses of healthy people. Occasionally, staph can get into the body and cause an infection. This infection can be minor (such as pimples, boils and other skin conditions) or serious (such as blood infections or pneumonia). Methicillin is an antibiotic commonly used to treat staph infections. Some staph bacteria have developed resistance to Methicillin and can no longer be treated effectively by this antibiotic. These resistant bacteria are called Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, or MRSA.

Get free initial MRSA claim advice now

MRSA infection usually develops in hospital patients who have an open wound (such as a bedsore) or a tube (such as a urinary catheter) or a drip which allows the bacterium to enter the body. Vulnerable people are the elderly or the very sick, and people with severely reduced resistance to infection, for instance due to HIV infection. For these groups the resulting infections can be serious - septicaemia or pneumonia for example.

MRSA is not a new problem. It was first isolated in 1961, in the same year that Methicillin was first used. However MRSA remained at low levels in the UK until 1992. Since 1992 studies have shown that MRSA is increasingly mentioned on death certificates in England and Wales.

A recent Government report stated that MRSA was referred to on the death certificates of 4,326 people between 2000 and 2004. Of these 1,378 gave MRSA as an underlying cause of death. The research indicates an increase in the number of deaths linked to or caused by MRSA. It is difficult to estimate the actual number of deaths actually caused by MRSA which may have been avoided.

In the UK there has been and continues to be a focus on prevention and control of MRSA. Hospitals should take special steps to prevent the spread of MRSA from patient to patient. One of these steps may be to separate, or isolate, a patient with MRSA from other patients. Strict hygiene is the best defence.

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MRSA compensation claim details
It can be difficult to succeed with a claim of compensation for MRSA where the basis of the claim is an allegation that the hospital trust was negligent or in breach of duty in the treatment of a patient and that this resulted in the patient contracting MRSA. Three tests must be satisfied in any negligence claim. These are as follows:-

1. Liability or fault. It is a requirement to establish that a duty of care was owed to the injured person and that the duty was breached. Where MRSA has been contracted by a patient in hospital a duty of care is clearly owed by that hospital and its staff to the patient. It is however necessary to establish that duty of care has been breached.

2. Causation. The breach of duty of care must cause the consequences complained of. This is very difficult in MRSA cases because the people who contract MRSA are usually already very ill. If someone went into hospital for treatment of a serious illness, and they contracted MRSA while in hospital, their condition may worsen and they may die. However, it can be difficult to prove that this was as a result of the MRSA infection instead of the original illness

3. Consequences. A negligence claim is a civil action. This means that if the claim is successful the Claimant will receive financial compensation. A negligence claim cannot be used to have a medical professional disciplined or to obtain an explanation or apology from the hospital.

The Court will award compensation limited to actual loss suffered over and above the consequences of the underlying illness. It can be very difficult to separate the two. It is therefore necessary for there to have been some extra or additional loss arising out of the MRSA infection, for example, additional pain and suffering, loss of earnings or expenses, which would not have occurred in any event.

An alternative to bringing a negligence claim may be to pursue a claim for breach of the Control of Substances Harmful to Health Regulations (“COSHH”). These regulations apply to a risk to the health of a person to whom a harmful substance is administered in the course of his or her medical treatment.

The medical practitioner is required to carry out a risk assessment and to prevent exposure to harmful substances where possible . Where a patient is treated in hospital there is a clear risk of infection. The hospital must take steps to prevent exposure to infection, including MRSA, by having procedures in place to clean and sterilise equipment. Where prevention is not possible exposure should be adequately controlled. The hospital also needs to monitor the exposure to harmful substances such as infection .

To bring a successful claim under COSHH it would be necessary to show:-

The patient did not have MRSA before being admitted to hospital.
Treatment or surgery for which they were admitted was straightforward and not ordinarily linked to infection.
Evidence of poor hygiene and/or poor infection control policies in the hospital.
The patient contracted MRSA in hospital and suffered identifiable health consequences.
IM has successfully represented claimants who have suffered from MRSA, and will be pleased to give you free initial advice in relation to your case. Use our online claims form.

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The NHS complaints procedure is an alternative to litigation and should be followed before any civil action is launched, information is available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/ComplaintsPolicy/NHSComplaintsProcedure/fs/en

If you have been affected by MRSA you may wish to contact the MRSA support group on www.mrsasupport.co.uk