"2 Naperville Students Diagnosed With 'Superbug'" MRSA. I don't know about you, but this is scaring

[in_cog_ni_to]

the CRAP out of me! It's getting close to home.

My son wrestles. That's a contact sport that is on the risk list. I explained all this to him last night and told him he MUST use his "Germ Free" he has and to constantly wash his hands. He promised he would, but you just never know with kids...will he forget? He also told me his coach makes them use anti-bacteria lotion on their arms, hands and legs before they start their conditioning. I just hope it works. MRSA is deadly if not caught early.:scared:

* Oct 18, 2007 9:42 am US/Central


2 Naperville Students Diagnosed With 'Superbug'

School Plans To 'Superclean' Areas That May Be Contaminated
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) ― Two freshman football players at Naperville North High School have been diagnosed with the same kind of "Superbug" staphylococcus infection that left a student in Virginia dead, school officials said in a letter to parents Thursday.

The students were both diagnosed with MRSA infections, the letter said. The situation was reported to the DuPage County Department of Public Health, and the school has ordered students diagnosed with MRSA to stay home unless given a release by a doctor.

A school representative said the students were not in the hospital Thursday, but were receiving outpatient treatment by their primary care physicians.

MRSA, short for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is spread by direct contact. The school is advising proper hand washing, as well as washing of clothes and equipment, keeping cuts and abrasions clean and dressed with a dry bandage, and not sharing personal items such as combs, towels, water bottles or deodorant.

The school also plans to "superclean" locker and athletic rooms, along with athletic equipment that may be shared, the letter said.

The Naperville case is the latest in several reported across the country, one of which has led to a student's death and the shutdown of an entire school system.

Classes were canceled on Wednesday at the 21 schools in Bedford County, Virginia, following the death of a high school student who was diagnosed with MRSA. Ashton Bonds, a 17-year-old senior at the county's Staunton River High School, died Monday.<snip>

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/naperville.mrsa.superbug.2.392562.html

[Cabcere]

1. Oh wow, that is scary.

:scared: I have two cousins in Naperville, one of whom is high-school age - I'm not sure if he goes to that particular high school, but that's really scary nonetheless. Thanks for posting this.

[Kittycat]

77. My son is a carrier, compliments of Loyola NICU Staff

eom

[donsu]

2. what product are they super cleaning with? is it guaranteed?

to kill this super bug. or does super cleaning just clean up so the bug hasn't anything much to stick too?

just wondering out loud.

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. Good questions. I'd like to know too.

I wonder how they know the super cleaned things are free from MRSA? Do they have a test? Or do they just wait to see if more kids get sick?:scared:

[LeftCoast]

4. In terms of cleaning a room, any standard anti-bacterial should do

They may want to get every crack and crevice though...perhaps that's what they mean by 'super cleaning'.

[kysrsoze]

5. Don't they still have to worry about reinfection? Somebody obviously brought it in

THAT is what scares me. How is it getting into the schools? Likely someone visits a hospital, then brings it back home and to school. I don't know how else that would happen. Anybody know how the superbug likely came about? All I know is its presence in hospitals.

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. I think they are having a difficult time figuring out how and why this has spread so far

beyond the hospitals. They don't know. There is one baby who died from MRSA and they have NO CLUE how she got it. That's what's so scary.

1. They have no clue why it's spreading beyond the hospitals.

2. They have no clue how some people are contracting it. and

3. There is no antibiotic that will kill it if it goes beyond a certain point.

IF this is caught IMMEDIATELY, it will respond to some antibiotics, but if left untreated....:scared:

It starts out looking like a little bug bite or pimple. If it starts to turn red and looks infected, GO TO THE DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.

[LeftCoast]

11. Signs of infection (on the skin)

Any wound or 'boil' that shows the following signs should be looked at:

Red with growing margins
Red streaks appearing heading toward the core of the body
Warm or hot to the touch
Rapid or unusual growth in the size of the affected wound

If you have any wound (or boil/pimple) with one or more of these signs you should see a doctor.

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. Thank YOU! I will surely keep a close eye on anything that pops up. n/t

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

100. Standard cellulitis symptoms, called "blood poisoning" back in the day.

MKJ

[AngryAmish]

43. This bug lives normally on human skin

MRSA means Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Staph aureus lives symptom free on the human skin of many people. Most of them are symptom free. See

Regular staph aureus can cause a nasty infection in a wound. It can be treated by many antibiotics -- except this strain and a few others that are drug resistant.

It is spreading beyond the hospitals because that is what these bugs do. They live on human skin and they don't care whose skin they live on. It is showing up in nontraditional places (ie outside hospitals) but staph infections have always occurred outside hospitals.

Not very reassuring, huh?

[LeftCoast]

8. Basically, once you have MRSA it doesn't go away

MRSA stands for Methicillin (an antibiotic) Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.

You can treat the acute infection, but it is virtually impossible to eliminate. Staph. Aureus in general is endemic on your skin. When you get another strain such as MRSA that often becomes established as well. The people most at risk are the elderly, the young and the immune compromised.

MRSA likely developed through incomplete courses of antibiotics. People take the meds till they feel better, but before the bug is completely killed. The ones left are naturally more resistant. In a perfect example of evolution, as these bugs encounter less than full regimens of antibiotics, the hardier bugs survive. The ones most susceptible die off and you're left with a strain that is resistant to a particular antibiotic. MRSA is Staph. that has developed resistant to large numbers of antibiotics. Some forms are actually 100% resistant to all known antibiotics. Luckily, those are still very rare though.

[halobeam]

55. Do all strains of staph stay in the body for good?

my son had staph infection a few years ago, it took weeks to go away. Is there any way to test him, or is this unnecessary?

[LeftCoast]

87. Just about everyone is colonized with Staph

Most of the varieties are relatively harmless and only cause a problem if your immune system is compromised.

So, to specifically answer your question I'm not an MD, but I doubt you need to have your son tested unless he's having recurrent infections.

[northzax]

95. people don't wash their hands

seriously. this is the primary vector, especially in hospitals.


just like with the flu, kiddies: WASH YOUR FUCKING HANDS several times a day, not just when using the bathroom. don't use special antibacterial soap, don't use germ-away (just creates more resistant bugs, since most people don't use it right) use plain old fashioned soap and water.

if you are so unfortunate to be hospitalized, be a brat and insist that everyone who enters your room washes their hands.

[lonestarnot]

19. Steam 'em wit monia.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

29. Bleach, I'd hope.

But then again, this is Bush's America, so they'll probably use a dilute solution of methicillin and let God sort it out.

[Horse with no Name]

62. Staph is relatively easy to clean on hard surfaces because it doesn't have a host

Any number of germicidals will clean it just fine.

[greenman3610]

7. most of the "anti bacterial" soaps are worthless and make the problem worse

plain old soap and water, liberally applied, are still perfectly
good.
hand washing is a good idea, and maintaining strong
immune function with diet and lifestyle.

[CottonBear]

10. Plain soap & hot H2O + lots of scrubbing, clean towels & never touch your face when in public

after having touched anything in a public place.

I got MRSA from somewhere (I don't belong to a gym and I'm not in school) and it was awful. I had no idea it could kill you until my doctor told me how serious it was. I have a terrible scar from the abcess. My neighbor almost died from MRSA he got through a catheter in a hospital.
:scared:

[in_cog_ni_to]

13. One of the precautions listed on the news last night was "make sure you ask the hospital if the

catheter they will use is sterile." HUH????*&^%$#@ WHY wouldn't ANYTHING like that being used in a hospital BE STERILE???:scared:

My husband is having prostate surgery on Tuesday and this shit is scaring the hell out of me!

[LeftCoast]

30. It would be medical malpractice to use a non-sterile catheter

As far as your husband's surgery goes - Yes, MRSA is a concern, but not one that you should be terrified of. The surgeon may very well insert the catheter in the OR. That's standard at my hospital.

Also, If you really are concerned you should talk to your MD and the RN's taking care of your husband. Let them know how important this is to you. Oh and one final note. Anyone who visits your husband in the hospital should be washing their hands before AND after they see him. You too. :)

[CottonBear]

31. Make sure the doctors, nurses, PAs and orderlies wash their hands.

Apparently, many medical professionals are skipping this critical step. They need to wash their hands before seeing any patient and probably dozens of other times during the day after touching equipment, after the restroom, after eating and driving and shopping.

[TwilightGardener]

35. AND ask that they swab their stethoscopes with alcohol before using them on you--

I sometimes forgot, and when I did wipe it clean, the alcohol pad would be brown with patients' body oils and sweat. Nasty.

[Horse with no Name]

64. Our hospital uses disposable stethoscopes, thermometers, and blood pressure cuffs

Each patient is given their own and thrown away when they leave.

[TwilightGardener]

68. WHAT?? No Littmans hanging around the necks?

We used disposables in isolation rooms, and I didn't much care for them--couldn't hear subtle shit, just REALLY loud lung crackles and bowel sounds. If they are of good acoustical quality, that's a great idea, though.

[Horse with no Name]

71. There are Littmans available

but the disposable ones are of decent quality, so they work just fine.

[LeftCoast]

88. It's a good idea in some ways

I hate the waste though. People should note that this is just one small example of why medical costs keep spiraling out of control. It can be a tricky line between cost savings and life saving.

[CottonBear]

73. Yuck! I had MRSA two years ago and never, ever want to get another infection.

:scared:

[youthere]

57. My doctor handles that situation well..

He washes his hands the moment he comes in the examining room, and the last thing before he exits. He's been my physician for the last 13 years and I have never seen him NOT do this with me or any of my three children.

[DemBones DemBones]

102. Most doctors aren't doing that now, which is odd.

I don't know why but I suspect managed care decided it took too much time.

[northzax]

97. yup.

there is most likely and anti-bacterial dispenser by the door walking into your room, insist that everyone who walks in uses it, or washes their hands. it's really that simple.

[donsu]

15. when in public don't touch eyes, nose, mouth

I was taught that 70 odd yrs. ago during the polio plague and then taught my kids the same just for general principles.

[NorthernSpy]

9. and despite what that 'tard Mike Savage says, illegal aliens are not the cause of MRSA...

:argh:

[ThoughtCriminal]

12. Looks like another "Dividend" from the Iraq Occupation

Thanks again Neo-Cons!

[kestrel91316]

23. Sorry. We don't get to blame this on Iraq. Misuse of antibiotics

is what led to this, and we have PLENTY of that going on in the US.

They warned us that this was going to be a growing problem unless we changed our ways, WAY back in undergraduate microbiology classes in the mid-70s.

[LeftCoast]

25. Nah, MRSA predates the Occupation

We are getting some very interesting drug resistant bugs out of Iraq though. To my knowledge nobody has gotten one of them in the US (yet).

[TwilightGardener]

39. Nope--we just allowed the bacteria to develop genetic defenses to our drugs

faster than we could develop new AB's to get past these genetic changes. Our fault.

[ThoughtCriminal]

84. Perhaps we are talking about something different

The Truth About the “Iraqi Superbug” and the Military’s Role in Spreading It:

http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/01/22/late-nite-fdl-the-truth-about-the-iraqi-superbug-and-the-militarys-role-in-spreading-it/

[tabatha]

14. Dettol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dettol
http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/dettol/dettolh.htm

"Apart from its low toxicity and low metal corrosivity, it is also relatively cheap compared to other disinfectants and is effective against gram positive and gram negative bacteria, fungi, yeast, mildew and even the frightening "super-bug" MRSA, thus giving it a broad spectrum of antimicrobial action. It is able to kill 98% of microbes in just 15 seconds as shown in agar patch studies , by disrupting the bacterial cells' membrane potential, drastically affecting its ability to produce Adenosine triphosphate and thus leading to its rapid death."

It can be ordered online in the States - both as liquid and cream.
https://id307.securedata.net/germa-drugs.com/merchantmanager/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=dettol

http://www.shop.britishgoodsonline.com/searchquick-submit.sc;jsessionid=4805FE610E860C975C31D5052246D5EF.qscstrfrnt02

[donsu]

18. thank you for info

nt

[kestrel91316]

27. I'd never use this on my own skin. I'll KEEP my normal microflora,

thank you. They serve a very vital purpose.

http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/normalflora.html

[tabatha]

36. Yes, I avoid anti-bacterial soaps too

and am well aware of the protection of natural microbes.
However, where/when there is a problem, Dettol can be used for a short period of time to prevent fatal outcomes.

Dettol has been used as a disinfectant for non-human surfaces - such as counters, bathrooms, door knobs, etc - for a long time in England and South Africa, to good effect.

[kestrel91316]

50. I use Roccal around my cat hospital. It's a quaternary ammonia

disinfectant that has a nice smell almost like lime. It's used on all surfaces and is an OLD standby.

[tabatha]

75. here is a comparison chart of good, bad and effectiveness

http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/safety/?Page=695

[tabatha]

47. Here is one of the proper uses for Dettol.

Dettol, as a bed bug killer

Item: Dettol, as a bed bug killer
Location:
by krishnakomali

Review: You may know the Dettol liquid as antiseptic disinfectant, but I know it as a bedbug killer. Yeah, I am saying truth. We suffered a lot exactly four months just because of a small creature that is Bedbug. We do not know from where these bugs have come from. They simply stuck to our bed in the morning and used to start their activities during nights. They used to simply bite us and drink the blood. They even bite my one year baby many times. We used to spend most of our time killing these dirty creatures. As a result we lost our sleeps. My husband failed to concentrate on his job as he could not sleep previous night. I started sleeping in the morning for hours due to lack of sleep in the nights. My baby too. As a result our entire cycle has changed. I could not feed my baby punctually as I used to do earlier. We applied many pest controls to get rid of these bugs. But all gone in vain. The very next day we found many bugs running here and there on the bed. We decide not to use pest controls any more, because they may effect our baby’s health. So we used to kill them with hands. But one day my husband came with a news that Dettol liquid can be used as a bed bug killer. One of his friends told him about this. He immediately purchased a spray bottle and filled it with DETTOL antiseptic liquid and some water and started spraying on bugs. My god you believe or not .they died on the spot. We are grateful to his friend who told him this idea.I feel it safe and harm less. At last we could find a safest remedy to get rid of bedbugs which have stolen our many wonderful nights.

http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=753

[Blue Diadem]

17. Hitting at some other schools, 6 kids in NC, 2 schools in Ct.

http://www.wfsb.com/health/14360325/detail.html

Students At 2 Schools Develop 'Superbug'
Schools Send Letter To Students, Parents


http://www.wxii12.com/news/14363410/detail.html

Six Piedmont Football Players Diagnosed With MRSA


You're right, it's frightening.

[donsu]

20. this thread needs kicked

nt

[coffeenap]

21. Thank you for this. I have forwarded the link to my

daughter's school in another Chicago suburb. I will also pass it on to friends who have kids in all area schools.

[kestrel91316]

22. "Antibacterial" products are worse than nothing. They kill off the healthy

NORMAL microflora of the skin, allowing pathogenic invaders a BETTER chance at surviving. Also, they are persistent environmental chemicals and do heaven-knows-what sort of harm to microbes in the environment that belong there and are essential to the entire web of life.

Normal, everyday soap removes bacteria JUST FINE. There is no justification whatsoever for trying to KILL all the bacteria on your skin. You can't, anyway. So why kill the necessary, protective ones? This is known as throwing the baby out with the bath water.

REPEAT AFTER ME: Soap and warm water, followed by thorough drying.
Soap and warm water, followed by thorough drying.
Soap and warm water, followed by thorough drying.
Soap and warm water, followed by thorough drying.

And yes, I DO have a degree in microbiology.

[Iris]

32. Yes. In a news report I saw yesterday about this, they said the cases of staph infection have

increased because of anti-bacterial products.

(And I've become a bit of a compulsive handwasher lately - washing for the amt of time it takes to sign "Happy Birthday"!)

[kestrel91316]

44. Handwashing is GOOD. Plain soap and water is GOOD.

Attempting to sterilize one's skin out of paranoia is VERY BAD.

[Iris]

46. yep - I'll stick with the plain soap and water!

[in_cog_ni_to]

33. Wrestlers pick up all kinds of bacterial/viral infections from their mats. The mats are cleaned

after every practice or meet, but my son still managed to pick up something last year. He had a small growth on his arm that didn't look like a mole or a wart or a sore, so I took him to a Dermatologist and it was a skin virus he picked up from wrestling. He had to freeze it off and said it could show up in other places on his body, so we had to keep an eye out for it. Ring Worm is another infection quite common in wrestling.

Whatever they used to clean the mats, didn't work or he caught that skin infection from another wrestler?

[TwilightGardener]

38. Close skin-to-skin contact with a stranger who may have questionable hygiene (many teenage boys)

and be carriers for God-knows-what is generally just a bad idea.

[in_cog_ni_to]

40. Yeah, I tend to agree with you on that. I think wrestling is a gross sport...all that sweat and

touching each other is not my idea of fun!:puke: It's so GROSS.

[TwilightGardener]

41. I don't even swim in public swimming pools anymore. That's how sadly paranoid I have become...

[in_cog_ni_to]

51. I cannot remember the last time I went swimming in a public pool. You're not alone.

:) Years ago, when swim parks became so popular, they had Ecoli outbreaks quite often and I refused to let my son EVER swim at one of those. I dunno...just thinking about dirty diapers and kids peeing in the water REALLY, REALLY grosses me out. Now they have swim diapers, so it may not be as bad as it use to be, but I don't care to take the chance. No thank you. It's funny how none of that stuff ever mattered when I was young...and too stupid to know any better.;)

[kestrel91316]

45. Disinfecting the mats is a good idea. They might not have used a good

product, or might not have used an otherwise good product correctly, or he could have got it directly.

Those "clean" mats are no longer clean once ONE PERSON puts their sweaty, dirty body onto them.

[Blue Diadem]

34. Thank you kestrel!

I heard yesterday that water and soap, with 15 seconds of hand rubbing friction, while making sure you get under the fingernails, is all it takes.

[kestrel91316]

48. Remember, too, it's not about killing the bacteria. It's about mechanically

removing them and washing them down the sink.

[emilyg]

24. K&R

[AuntPatsy]

26. Such things are bound to get alot worse, more and more people are not going

to the doctors early enough because they don't have health care..

Be prepared for even more dangerous style deseases to become the norm in spreading like wildfire.

[orleans]

28. this is up on wbbm website

Two Local Students Infected With 'Superbug' Back In Class, School Being Cleaned


(WBBM) NAPERVILLE - A scare in the western suburbs over the deadly antibiotic-resistant staph infection which killed a Virginia teenager.

Naperville School District 203 says two freshman football players at Naperville North High School are back in school - and have been cleared to play football again - after being treated for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

A school district spokeswoman says MRSA was confirmed in one case and is suspected in the second.

Spokeswoman Melea Smith says one student has been back in school for at least two weeks, and she says the other student has been back for one week.

She says the first student had been hospitalized. She was not certain whether the second student had been in the hospital.

Smith says classes are cancelled today and tomorrow - not because of the infection but because of long-scheduled teacher conferences. Smith says the school is using the opportunity to clean, especially the locker rooms and the sports equipment.

The assistant superintendent of Naperville School District 203, Kitty Ryan, says she believes "the situation at Naperville North is under control."

Smith says the school district learned about the second student yesterday (Wednesday), and sent an email to parents.

Smith says the school district decided to be more proactive when the second likely case emerged.

The email to parents says students should be reminded of "proper hand washing," and told they should not share "personal items such as combs, deodorants, water bottles, (and) towels."

Naperville North High School is hosting a football game Friday night against Wheaton Warrenville South High School.

Saturday night, Naperville North is hosting a freshman football game against Wheaten Warrenville. And the two students diagnosed with MRSA have been cleared to play, Smith says.

Wheaten Warrenville High School has heard from at least one concerned parent, but the athletic director says he reassured her.

"We are confident. Our athletic trainers are working together... to make sure we're keeping our kids as safe as possible," says Bob Quinn, assistant principal for athletics at Wheaton Warrenville South High School.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph that is resistant to certain antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control. These antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems (see healthcare-associated MRSA).

MRSA infections that are acquired by persons who have not been recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure (such as dialysis, surgery, catheters) are known as CA-MRSA infections. Staph or MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people.

On the Net:
Community-Associated MRSA www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca.html
Healthcare-associated MRSA www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa.html

http://www.wbbm780.com/Two-Local-Students-Infected-With-Resistant-Staph-B/1105318

[in_cog_ni_to]

37. What a relief! I'm so glad they're OK and they have this under control.

Thanks for the update!

[Midlodemocrat]

42. 7 here. My son wrestles as well. I'm a little freaked about it.

So far, it seems that the seven will recover, but still. Scary, scary stuff.

[alcibiades_mystery]

49. Will I be the first one to ask?

What is the yearly average occurrence of this over the past five years? Is this year any worse? Or are these news items bunching just because it is in the news?

:shrug:

I'll be scared when I see spiking numbers from a credible source. Until then, I'll consider this a bit of scare journalism, or just the usual journalistic practice of reporting stories that are in the news, which is to say, seeing fit to print another similar piece because one story caught on (which is why you hear about every mine accident after a major mine accident, though mine accidents go unreported most of the year without one, and don't change at all in frequency).

[in_cog_ni_to]

54. 19,000 died in 2005 and so far, 94,360 have developed the infection. Text of the Study (JAMA)

Infection Killed 19,000 in 2005, Study Says



Article Tools Sponsored By
By KEVIN SACK
Published: October 16, 2007

ATLANTA, Oct. 16 — Nearly 19,000 people died in the United States in 2005 after being infected with a virulent drug-resistant bacterium that has spread rampantly through hospitals and nursing homes, according to the most thorough study to be conducted of the disease’s prevalence.

Text of the Study (JAMA)
Back Story With The Times's Kevin Sack (mp3)

The study, which was published today in The Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that invasive infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or M.R.S.A., may be twice as common as previously thought, according to its lead author, Dr. R. Monina Klevens. If the mortality estimates are correct, the number of deaths associated with M.R.S.A. each year would exceed those attributed to HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, emphysema or homicide.

By extrapolating data collected in nine locations, the researchers established the first true baseline for M.R.S.A. in the United States, projecting that 94,360 patients developed an invasive infection from the pathogen in 2005 and that nearly one of every five, or 18,650 of them, died.<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/16/health/16cnd-infect.html

[alcibiades_mystery]

59. So it's been pretty common for at least the last few years

yeah?

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

65. yes, it has. I've seen these infections for at least 15 years.

I can't believe the hysteria over something we commonly deal with in our clinic, not to mention the hospital.

MKJ

[Fly by night]

80. As an epidemiologist, I think every case of corporate media-based hype about infectious disease ...

... needs a healthy dose of reality (and skepticism). I appreciate your comments about the presence of MRSA in hospitals and other settings for some time now. (There were four cases of it in the federal Bureau of Prisons halfway house where I resided from 2005-07, and the staff there were utterly clueless about the disease and how to control an outbreak.) Clearly we need to take precautions in those settings to avoid additional infection.

But we also need to guard against using corporate media hype about commonly-occurring infectious disease outbreaks to be the easy default to distract us from the most deadly infection facing the world today -- Smirking Chimpitis. Oh, if we could only lance that boil, drain it down a spider hole and seal it with Lysol and concrete, somewhere deep in the heart of Texas.

[bonito]

82. I agree

I know from experience that silver ions are very effective on MRSA
And is inexpensive to prepare. Another corporate shakedown.

[alcibiades_mystery]

83. Seems pretty easy to cause hysteria...

:-)

[Cetacea]

92. AIDS is a good example of that. n/t

[halobeam]

52. Maybe a good thread to post this question:

is there a site that lists by state/county, the outbreaks reported? I've been looking for hours (obviously not the research wiz)

[CottonBear]

53. You might check the CDC site and state & county Health Department sites. n/t

[halobeam]

63. I did check those yesterday.

I mustn't have navigated the sites very well. I'll go back and try again.

[in_cog_ni_to]

56. It sounds like 6 states have reported it. Add Illinois and it's 7. Here's the CDC MRSA page link:

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSA/

Six States Report MRSA Infections, At Least Three Youths Have Died

Thursday, October 18, 2007

* E-Mail
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School districts in at least six states Thursday reported students infected with MRSA, a super strain of drug-resistant staphylococcus bacteria that is responsible for the deaths of at least three children.

Ashton Bonds, 17, of Bedford, Va., died Monday as a result of the infection. Preschooler Catherine Bentley of Salisbury, N.H., and Shae Kiernan, 11, of Vancleave, Miss., both succumbed to the infection last week, officials said.

In addition, six football players at a North Carolina high school, seven students at three different West Virginia schools and at least two teens in Connecticut were diagnosed with the potentially deadly infection.

School officials in upstate New York, Connecticut and New Hampshire sent letters home to parents informing them of recent cases. Meanwhile, cases have prompted schools in Indiana, Virginia and West Virginia to sanitize facilities, particularly locker rooms and gyms where the germs are most easily spread.

The concern is due to the fact that MRSA doesn't respond to penicillin and other antibiotics. It can be spread by skin-to-skin contact or by sharing an item used by an infected person, particularly one with a cut or abrasion. A number of the cases have involved student athletes.
Related


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this week that MRSA infections are a major public health problem and more widespread than previously thought. A government study out this week said more than 90,000 Americans could get the "superbug" each year.

Click here to visit the CDC's MRSA page<snip>

Sorry. This report is from Fox News :(:http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,303237,00.html

[halobeam]

61. thanks.

I couldn't find the lists of states/counties on the CDC site.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

66. Gosh, I wonder if all the MRSA infected post surgical and statis wounds we see are in the report.

Probably, if one goes state to state.

MKJ

[McCamy Taylor]

58. Antiobiotic use in farm animals causes this. The newest, strongest antibiotics

are fed to farm animals like candy to keep them from getting infections from the inhumane, crowded conditions in which they are forced to live to make their owners maximum profits. Antibiotics whose use in humans is restricted in order to prevent the formation of resistant bacteria are pumped into cattle by the gallon, as if farmers are blissfully unaware that the cattles' stool will wash into the ground water which contaminates nearby fields and gets on crops which we eat. We then pick up the bacteria that came out of the cattles' GI tracks---that is how we get bad e.coli that make us sick, but also other bacteria that we do not even notice, including bacteria with resistance to multiple antibiotics that we have never taken.

Yes, some resistance forms in the hospital. And you are more likely to acquire a resistant bacteria in the hospital, because nurses and doctors tend to be colonized, from all the patients they have treated. But most of the resistant bugs out there got their start in a meat farm.

Try tea tree oil, aloe vera and other antiseptics when you have a mild skin infection. I find that these work better for me than topical antibiotic ointments. Plus, apply warm wet compresses and keep the affected part elevated to promote good circulation and drainage.

[halobeam]

60. great advice

thanks!

[tabatha]

78. Natural antiseptics

like Tea Tree Oil, Grape Seed Extract, Vinegar, Baking Soda, Lavendar are great for every day use. Also, eating foods high in Resveratrol (a natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent) helps as well.

[dave123williams]

67. Whatever. Last week it was the bird flu they told you to be afraid of.

The week before that, it was SARS. The week before that it was the Monkey Pox.

They're selling fear, and you're buying.

[in_cog_ni_to]

70. And you have how many children involved in school sports where

kids are being infected? Don't tell me to not be concerned for my child's health. I'm not buying any fear. I'm a MOTHER who is concerned about her son, OK? 19,000 people died in 2005 and over 94,000 have been infected with it.. THAT is nothing to sneeze at, IMCPO.

[dave123williams]

85. Whatever. The most common justification for buying in to fear is...

'Who will protect the CHILDREN!!!'

They know you fear for your children, and they play on that.

Tell me; do any of your kids have the dreaded bug? Any of their friends? Anyone you know? Anyone within 500 miles of where you live?

I didn't think so.

[Bluebear]

90. "Whatever". You're really sounding extremely ignorant about this matter.

And yes, "anyone within 500 miles", make that about 50 miles from me. This is not about fear, this is about science.

[Cetacea]

93. Do you just want numbers on children, or adults as well?

If the latter, there are a number of DUers who posted in another thread on a related thread who either have it or know someone who does.

[Horse with no Name]

72. In the last year clinically

I have seen ZERO Bird Flu, ZERO SARS, ZERO Monkey Pox...BUT I have seen over 100 cases of MRSA requiring Vancomycin.
I'm not buying fear, but I am sure seeing something we should be fearful of.


Edited to add: I have seen over 100 cases in CHILDREN. I don't know how the adult population is holding up, but we DO treat the entire family living in the household prophylactically.

[in_cog_ni_to]

74. Thank You, Horse. Do you know how may cases have been diagnosed this year?

Any idea? If you have seen 100 children infected, this years numbers have to be astronomical.:(

[Horse with no Name]

76. I don't know

But it is definitely an increase in our population.
We have been having lengthy discussions about it for months just among staff nurses.
Recently, we even had a 3-week old infant that had it in it's umbilical stump.
In OUR area, I cannot speak for others, but the ONLY place that everyone goes is Walmart.
We pretty much feel it is being passed around on the baskets. A considerable amount of these kids are getting it on the back of their leg where it would come in contact with the shopping cart.
Our pediatricians have even been talking about treating ALL staff members prophylactically JUST IN CASE we are colonized.
This increase has been going on steadily in the past year. We've been concerned for some time now.
I doubt very seriously you will see true numbers because there are SO many of these cases that go unreported.:(
I am hoping that NEXT year, the CDC will amend their guidelines and make MRSA a reportable condition. That is the ONLY way to get some true numbers.

[tabatha]

79. I've noticed some really dirty

shopping baskets/carts at many grocery chains.

[dave123williams]

86. Of the 100, how many have actually died?

Right.

[LeftCoast]

89. Without prompt medical treatment most people infected with MRSA would die

I think that's pretty fair to say. I haven't seen too many die specifically because of it, but that's because most forms of MRSA are still responsive to at least one antibiotic. Without a strong, appropriate antibiotic I just don't think too many people would make it.

[Horse with no Name]

91. One.

One little 3-year old girl who was the light of someone's world. Of course TECHNICALLY she died in the air en route to a larger hospital and not at our facility. Is that enough to satisfy the blood lust you seem to seek?
The POINT is, that they are TREATED--not how many die.
If NOT treated, that number would certainly be higher.

[dave123williams]

101. Blood lust? Get a grip. I'm just not afraid of this week's new superbug.

I don't hope anybody gets it, and I hope they do they get treatment, but seriously; you don't think you're buying in to an over-hyped threat just a little bit?

[noel711]

69. So all you poor kids out there...

better be scrupulous about your hygiene coz there's no damn insurance.

[Summer93]

81. Medical care

I have been saying for a long time that for our country to have such a large number of people who are not covered for medical care is going to become a problem for all people, even the wealthy who can get the best care money can buy. The wealthy cannot protect themselves from an infection because infections do not descriminate according to wealth.

Also the problem with feeding meat providing animals with antibiotics may well be the underlying issue causing so many people to be in jeopardy for the most recent and most potent antibiotics as they have already at work in their bodies even though they may not know it.

As a country we may be forced to provide a more humane medical coverage for all people and a very good reason for using a humane method of raising animals for food.

It is all connected.

[distantearlywarning]

94. Pittsburgh, PA - on the news last night

Reporting an outbreak in 12 (I think that's what they said) school districts around the region.

[Fly by night]

98. Similar report on Nashville news last night, though not MRSA-specific. Be afraid, be very afraid!!!

IMHO, this is more evidence of an intentional and nationally orchestrated scare campaign than it is evidence for a rapidly growing epidemic.

Back when bird flu stories were in the press every day, I contacted our local NBC affiliate with some basic facts re: the scarcity of that disease and asked them why they were hyping the story. They admitted that their marching orders came from "the network".

I think NBC stands for "National Bullshit Cabal".

[cooolandrew]

96. We have had a few outbreaks of superbug in the UK.

It mostly comes down to declining cleaning standards mainly. The hospitals contract their cleaners and those contracters cut corners for profit. Things have improved a bit in recent months though.

[Burma Jones]

99. There appears to be a racial angle to this as well

Poorly funded and staffed hospitals and schools...........