Staphylococcus Aureus

Writing in the LATimes, Jia-Rui Chong has put together an informative piece about the threat of expanding colonies of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a nasty bug. Here's an excerpt.

The bacterium likes to grow in warm, moist areas of the human body, such as the nose, armpit or groin. It can linger on the skin without causing infection, waiting to enter through a cut or an abrasion. Unlike many other germs, it can also survive hours, possibly days, on inanimate objects such as towels or catheters.

Once inside the body, the bacteria can bloom into rashes, pimples and boils. But sometimes the bacteria cause invasive infections, such as pneumonia or meningitis. In a few cases, staph infections can turn into a nightmarish necrotizing fasciitis, the so-called flesh-eating disease. In rare cases, an infection can be fatal.

Lancing a wound is sometimes enough to stop a broader infection. But if the bacteria has spread through a person's body, antibiotics are the only effective cure.

There is a hierarchy of antibiotics, starting with older drugs, such as penicillin, and working up to the most aggressive ones, including vancomycin and linezolid, which can cause serious side effects. Using the most aggressive ones first only helps to foster more drug resistance. Thus, infected patients are often initially prescribed antibiotics that have little effect.

Typically found only in hospitals, the bacterium is now showing up in schools, gyms, and jails. In one recent case in Texas, a woman named Kimberly Kay Jackson died from an MRSA infection she picked up at a local nail salon during a pedicure.

In the United Kingdom, official statistics indicate that deaths due to MRSA increased by 22 percent between 2003 and 2004. The Australians are also raising the alarm regarding MRSA. One researcher conducted a study and estimated that 1,700 Aussies succumb to MRSA in a year.

I think I'll wash my hands.