July 2007
Drug-resistant staph infections pose threat to healthy kids, adults
CR's Take
With virulent--and occasionally life-threatening--new strains of staph bacteria on the rise, don't assume skin eruptions are
harmless and will go away on their own. Seek prompt medical attention for boils or rashes that appear to worsen, are painful,
or are accompanied by fever. If you have young children, watch for these symptoms and make sure your children tell you about
any sores they develop.
The bugs, Community Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), cause skin infections that look like spider bites or pimples. Though the infections usually start out mild, affecting only the surface of skin, they can progress into deeper, more invasive boils and abscesses, even if bandaged and kept clean. "So you can wash with soap and water and the infection may still get worse," says John Bradley, M.D., spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. If the staph infection is treated late or with antibiotics to which the bugs have developed resistance, more serious problems, such as pneumonia or lung infections, can follow. Health officials do not have definitive data on deaths caused by CA-MRSA, but fatalities are believed to be rare. It's not clear why staph infections become deadly for some people but not for others.
Unlike staph bugs in hospital settings that affect mainly the sick and elderly, CA-MRSA is spread to otherwise healthy people through contact with contaminated skin or shared personal items. In June 2006 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released information on six clusters of CA-MRSA infections that occurred between 2004 and 2005 among people in the Midwest who had received tattoos with nonsterile equipment.
A study of a Chicago hospital system published in May 2007 found that the incidence of skin and soft tissue infections caused by CA-MRSA increased nearly seven fold between 2000 and 2005. Other community outbreaks have been reported in Atlanta, Baltimore, and parts of Minnesota, typically among people in closely shared quarters. Athletes who play contact sports may be especially vulnerable. Many high school and college wrestlers and football players have reported infections. In 2003 CA-MRSA was named as the cause of death of a football player at a Pennsylvania college. In July 2006 the Toronto Blue Jays disinfected their entire clubhouse after two players came down with staph infections.
Though CA-MRSA may spread easily, doctors have found the bacteria to respond to a broader array of drugs than past staph bugs. While resistant to some antibiotics, notably methicillin, CA-MRSA can be treated with others.
To protect yourself and your family against CA-MRSA infections:
- Tell your children and their coaches that players should never share towels or athletic equipment. Sports injuries should
be promptly and thoroughly cleaned and covered to avoid infecting other people.
- Be sure to don gloves if you must tend another person's wounds.
- Frequently cleanse your hands with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to avoid transmitting the bugs.
- Don't share personal items like razors, towels, or washcloths, and to help kill bacteria, dry clothing in a hot dryer, instead
of air drying it.
