Staph Infections Detected At 3 Ohio Schools

[spotbird]

Source: WLWT

WILMINGTON, Ohio -- A Wilmington High School student has been diagnosed with a potentially deadly bacterial infection.

School officials confirmed the student, whose name was not released, was diagnosed with MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant form of staph infection.

Officials said they have been working with the Clinton County Health Department, which recommended that the school could remain open as the area was disinfected.



Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/14379356/detail.html

[rusty quoin]

1. Oh crap

[gateley]

2. We've been focusing on Bird Flu (sort of) and all along this was lurking, and now

seems to be rearing its ugly head. I wonder if the occurrences are increasing or if they've always been about the same level but now each case is receiving media coverage. Anybody know?

[Delphinus]

3. We have?

I've not seen a whole lot of anything about Avian Flu for a while.

[gateley]

5. Okay forget I said that. It just seems to come up on the news sporadically -

focusing may have been too strong a word.

Other than that, any thoughts on the occurrences of staph?

[Delphinus]

9. I was hoping I had missed the news stories, frankly.

:)

Not that I'm hoping Avian flu gets up and running, but I wanted to see more people discussing the steps in addressing it.

That being said, I've only read about the staph infections with a cursory eye - not really investigated it. I live in Indiana, which is what drew me to the story in the first place. I'll have to research it a bit more to get a grasp on what it is and what it might mean. I know they talk about the healthy being the ones who have the greatest chance of dying with Avian flu - I wonder if the healthy immune systems tie into this.

[gateley]

13. Do you feel that Avian Flu is more of a potential problem than is being admitted

to?

From what I've heard about the staph, as with most assults, the healthier our immune system is the greater chance we have of not being flattened by it, but then you hear about all the kids in team sports (who I think would be pretty damn healthy) being susceptible.

I DO know that one needs to be extra cautious of cuts and scrapes.

[superconnected]

11. I've been reading about staph on and off - every few months

I see it on the front of yahoo news.

They do keep returning to it.

I remember a big story about it being in Japan and they thought it would spread to a world epidemic, a few years ago.

[Occulus]

17. It was a scare tactic

that most of us, including myself, bought into.

Bird flu is FAR less of a threat than MRSA.

[Odin2005]

21. Bird Flu is only a threat if it mutates.

The problem is that if it does mutate we could see something like the global flu pandemic of 1918.

[phantom power]

4. I understand that MRSA kills more people in America than AIDS.

[halobeam]

7. I think CDC made a comment similar to that

more so that it has potential to be that way. Maybe I misunderstood?

[phantom power]

8. I just checked again, it seems to be true:

Oct. 16, 2007 -- It appears that more people in the U.S. now die from the mostly hospital-acquired staph infection MRSA than from AIDS, according to a new report from the CDC.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was responsible for an estimated 94,000 life-threatening infections and 18,650 deaths in 2005, CDC researchers report in the Oct. 17 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

That same year, roughly 16,000 people in the U.S. died from AIDS, according to CDC figures.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=84575

[RamboLiberal]

6. HS and a Kindergarten class here in Western PA

Mount Lebanon High School where they tested the artificial turf and the opposing school is having their football players dress in their own locker room before going to the game. And this is in a old money area of Pittsburgh.

The other story today:

Officials at the Leechburg Area School District on Friday cancelled kindergarten classes at the David Leech Elementary School after they confirmed one case of the staph infection known as MRSA.
A second case is possible but has not been confirmed, Superintendent James A. Budzilek said in a telephone interview.

MRSA is an antibiotic resistant bacteria that can cause mild skin irritations as well as more severe infections that can be deadly. MRSA outbreaks have been reported across the country this week, with one student in Virginia dying Monday.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_533548.html

But I think this is the news media overhyped deadly disease story of the season. Causing some hysteria IMHO, still not a bad thing to get people thinking about hygiene and hospitals looking at their sanitary practices.

[Kali]

10. more about antibiotic resistance than hygiene

[kimmerspixelated]

12. This is serious, however

there are effective answers at your health food store. Please don't flame this, Turtlesue,etc....but it has been clinically proven that OIL of OREGANO knocks out nasty infections quite effectively. I'm not sure if you would use it topically or not. If so, it will definitely sting! Very,very spicey. I have mixed a drop or two of it in water or juice to shorten colds and it certainly does the trick! The report I read said it killed that nasty staph instantly! But even if you naysay that, you have to agree upon washing hands frequently and keeping your immune system up. Probiotics and Vit C go a long way! To your health!

[gateley]

15. Thanks for this post - I didn't know that about Oil of Oregano. It makes sense

to me that the earth supplies us with all we need to co-exist with it in health. I'll check it out!

[Occulus]

18. Please don't post woo-woo pseudoscience on MRSA threads

Please. This is a serious disease that can kill.

Please don't post woo-woo misinformation. People might believe you. Your remedy WILL NOT WORK against MRSA, and posting it on this thread is irresponsible as all hell.

You just gave medical advice, IMO. NOT good, very very stupid, and you opened yourself to potential liability should someone with MRSA try your advice, and later die.

PLEASE don't post woo-woo misinfo. Save it for the holistic remedies forum, if we have one.

THE "ADVICE" FROM THE POSTER I'M RESPONDING TO LIKELY WILL NOT WORK. IF YOU FIND YOURSELF WITH AN INFECTION, CONSULT A DOCTOR. IF IT IS MRSA, FOLLOWING THIS MISINFORMATION MAY KILL YOU.

[kimmerspixelated]

20. Give me a break!

OF course you would see your doctor first! In the event that their stuff doesn't work, try something that has no side effects after THEIR antibiotics don't work! In the meantime....build up your immunity with these spicey herbs that have been killing viruses,bacteria for thousands of years. Jeepers!

[Odin2005]

22. #1. anti-biotics, natural or otherwise can't kill viruses.

#2. If that stuff was really used as an antibiotic for thousands of years it would be useless now because the bacteria would of become resistant to it.

[kestrel91316]

14. News flash: Staph is ubiquitous. It is a normal inhabitant of our skin.

MRSA has been out there. Now that they are actually LOOKING for it, they are finding it.

Basic rules still apply: Wash your hands often with plain soap and hot water, and dry them thoroughly. Keep your hands away from your nose (no picking). Don't pick at scabs or pimples. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Don't be using "antibacterial" crap like triclosan unless you are fighting an active infection.

[Gloria]

16. Onate High School here in Las Cruces, NM has been scrubbed as

a student has come down with a staph infection that seems to be a resistant form!

[Wcross]

19. Nashville area has several cases. Rochester, N.Y. area also.

Overuse & misuse of antibiotics is coming back to haunt us.