MRSA: THE NEXT EPIDEMIC?

My neighbor's cat scratched her in the fleshy part between thumb and forefinger. No big deal. Right? Wrong! Although she kept the spot clean, smeared with an antibiotic ointment, and bandaged she soon found herself in the ER and then in surgery. The diagnosis? MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)

Never heard of it? You're not alone. Recently it has been in the headlines in connection with schools. Some students have died and entire schools have been closed while undergoing a thorough cleaning.

This is scary stuff. We need to make sure we are well informed on the subject.

Wikipedia tells us the following:

Scientific classification
Domain: Bacteria

Kingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Firmicutes

Class: Bacilli

Order: Bacillales

Family: Staphylococcaceae

Genus: Staphylococcus

Species: S. aureus


Binomial name
Staphylococcus aureus
Rosenbach 1884

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is a biological agent responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It may also be known as:
Multiple-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA)
Community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA)
Hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA)

For comparison, MSSA is Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA is a variation of the common bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus. It has evolved the ability to survive treatment with beta-lactam antibiotics, including penicillin and methicillin. The organism is especially troublesome in hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections. In hospitals, patients with open wounds and weakened immune systems are at greater risk for infection than the general public. Hospital staff who do not follow proper sanitary procedures may inadvertently transfer bacterial colonies from patient to patient. MRSA was discovered in 1961 in the UK. It is now found worldwide. MRSA is popularly termed (in the press) a superbug, or staph infection connection.

MRSA IN SCHOOLS

On Friday, October 19, 2007, Fox News headlines read, SIX STATES REPORT MRSA INFECTIONS, AT LEAST THREE YOUTHS HAVE DIED.

One death was reported in each of the following: Bedford, Virginia; Salisbury, New Hampshire; Vancleave, Mississippi.

Schools in Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and West Virginia have reported cases of MRSA (Several more than were initially

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