Study Highlights Dangers of MRSA (dangerous staph infection) Caught Outside the Hospital

[TexasLawyer]

Source: WebMD Medical News

Study Highlights Dangers of MRSA Caught Outside the Hospital
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 12, 2007 -- Drug-resistant staph infections caught in the community may be more dangerous than those found in hospitals, according to a new study. Researchers found the community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) bacterium secretes agents that attract and destroy immune cells that are supposed to protect against infection.

CA-MRSA infection is a global health issue because new strains of these staph bacteria have become resistant to treatment with many antibiotics and can cause severe infection in otherwise healthy individuals. Although much attention has been paid to the hospital-associated strains of the bacterium, researchers say the findings show that the strains in the community may be more serious and difficult to treat.

In the study, Michael Otto, PhD, and colleagues at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' (NIAID) Rocky Mountain Laboratories identified peptides (building blocks of protein) called PSM that are secreted by CA-MRSA. The results appear in Nature Medicine.

These peptides appear to destroy healthy immune cells that would normally fight against the infection.





Read more: http://www.webmd.com/news/20071112/mrsa-worse-in-community-than-hospital

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The CA-MRSA were found in lab tests to produce more PSMs than the hospital-associated MRSA.

[TexasLawyer]

1. lots and lots of community MSRA cases in the news all over the US

Just Google MSRA. I thought this was interesting:

"Because MRSA is not a reportable disease, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are having a difficult time knowing whether its numbers are up."

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=6404&TM=57510.23

Wouldn't you think, given how deadly MRSA is, how MRSA deaths are growing exponentially, and how a dangerous strain is now loose in the community, that the CDC would at least be trying to track infections and document the serious cases?

Maybe it should be a reportable disease.:shrug:

[Hissyspit]

2. Local outbreak where I am near Lumberton NC. A local school.

Several people hospitalized. I don't know if anyone has died.

[TexasLawyer]

3. Call for tracking staph superbug

Published: Sunday, November 11, 2007

It looks like some states are taking MRSA-tracking into their own hands.

Call for tracking staph superbug

Every case of a drug-resistant staph infection should be reported to the state, a lawmaker says.

By Sharon Salyer
Herald Writer

A state lawmaker says Gov. Chris Gregoire should order state health officials to begin tracking each case of an increasingly common bacterial infection resistant to antibiotics. State Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Roy, has sent a letter to the governor urging her to use her emergency executive powers to force health officials to take action.

Currently, health officials do not require doctors to report cases of a skin infection caused by a bacterium known as MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Campbell said he was perplexed that the state health agency required tracking of many other diseases, but not MRSA. These include AIDS, hepatitis and food-borne illnesses.

"Frankly, we are presently in the dark and are relying on the media reports and other anecdotal accounts to get a picture on this situation," he said in his letter.

<snip>

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071111/NEWS01/711110051&news01ad=1

[lurky]

4. Some kid here in Brooklyn,

died of it about a month ago. No idea where he got it.

[Quantess]

5. I notice that children under 18 are common victims.

For that, I blame overuse of antibiotic soaps, lotions, cleaners, etc; And the overuse of prescriptions for antibiotics. Young people's immune systems are wussied out, and the germs have become stronger.

Oddly, I feel fortunate to be allergic to penicillin and most antibiotics. I haven't had ANY antibiotics for over 12 years, even though medical professionals have tried several times to get me to take them. I refused the antibiotics, and it turned out I didn't need them anyway, since haven't had any infections that my own immune system couldn't fight on its own.

People are encouraging laziness in their own immune systems.

[snooper2]

6. I have MRSA bug...

After first doctor thought I had gout, I was diagnosed with pre-pattella bursitis, and after meds didn't help the inflamation and swelling, I had surgery. Basically slice open knee and wash out the bad shit. Cultures out of my knee came back positive for slight growth of MRSA. Now on correct antibiotics to treat it....if it was in my blood stream that would be a different issue...

Common thing now a days, the kick is they have to have lab work done to know exactly what "bug" you have so the can prescribe the right meds.