Question about MRSA??? I heard it's spreading down South. Any chance it's in New York yet?

Question

Question explains it all. Just wondering if my school can possibly get it.

Answer 1

MRSA is everywhere. It is more common in the South because warm, humid conditions make it easier to transmit and allow it to live longer outside a colonized or infected person.

Hand washing, clean and sanitize contact surfaces such as gym equipment, do not share personal items - razors, clothing, nail clippers, makeup, etc.

Benjamin, Infection Control Nurse

Answer 2

I believe it's already all over the country. Certainly, we've seen a ton of it here in California and with air travel and spread with direct contact, I have a hard time believing that there's anywhere in the country that doesn't yet have it.

Certainly, chatting with health care professionals at national conferences reinforces this belief - everyone I've asked at the conferences has looked after someone with it.

The key thing to keep in mind is that most people who have MRSA have it as a colonizer - that is, it lives on their skin without causing infection (but still can spread to others). If someone does develop an infection, it can be treated - in California, we've treated thousands of cases and I'm sure that's true in every other state of the Union as well.

We've been dealing with this for at least three years now... the only thing that's different now is the public panic fed by headlines.

Answer 3

MRSA, Methicillin Resistant Staphy aureus has been around for many years. This is a world-wide situation, not one that is limited to specific geographic locations. Until recently, MRSA was a hospital acquired (nosocomial) infection. Now there are community acquired infections beginning to appear. Nosocomial MRSA is directly due to many years of improper antibiotic use, along with failure of hospital personel to follow proper infectious disease protocols. This, along with the in-patients being weakened...they are in the hospital....makes a more difficult treatment regimen. The community strains seem to be a bit more treatable. There are several very effective antibiotics. The community population is certainly more healthy than those in a hospital bed. Good hand-washing and common sense go a long way toward prevention. The serious infections and deaths are alarming and regrettable. But, the number of cases is still quite low. There is no need to panic. Staph aureus is part of the normal bacteria that live on your skin. You cannot get rid of it. And, there are people that are carriers of MRSA. Be aware but don't be fanatical.

Answer 4

Wash your hands good after touching anything, and you can even take along some anti-bacterial wipes.
I am a nurse and work around MRSA quite a bit. We use universal precautions to gaurd against getting infected. Proper hand washing is key to keeping yourself from being exposed. Don't exchange bodily fluids with anyone, that is why we wear gloves.
I personally do not drink from public water fountains. Bring bottled water for yourself and your children.
The dirtiest places are the door knobs, buttons on soda machines, ........things that don't get a swipe of bleach very often....or ever.
Bathrooms are actually fairly clean as far as microbial growth is concerned.

All in all.... if you are basically a healthy person, you most likely will not become infected. Most of these types of infections are opportunistic. Meaning... they attack people who are run down or already sick.

You really should be more concerned about the flu this time of year as opposed to MRSA.

General information on MRSA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRSA#Clinic...

Center for Disease Control fact sheet:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa.h...

This is how nurses protect themselves:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_h...

http://nursing.about.com/od/patienteducation/a/handwashing.htm

Prevent the Spread of Germs
Effective and frequent handwashing is essential to stopping the spread of germs. Yet, surprisingly, many skip this step after visiting the bathroom which is one of the most important times to wash your hands. (The CDC estimates 1 in 3 don't wash after using the bathroom!)

Proper Technique Takes Less Than 1 Minute
Begin by removing your rings. Push your watch up on your arm or remove it. This will allow for thorough cleaning and drying.
Adjust the water to comfortably warm temperature and rinse your hands from the wrist downward.
Apply soap either liquid or use a clean bar of soap (be sure it has a place to drain such as on a rack). Lather thoroughly.
Begin at your wrist and work downward. Scrub with friction.
Interlace your fingers and thumbs and continue scrubbing by sliding your fingers back and forth. Clean under your nails and around the nailbeads as well.
15-30 seconds of vigorous scrubbing will eliminate most transient bacteria. ("Scrubbing" for surgery or other procedures requires at least 2 minutes)
Then rinse your hands thoroughly from the wrist downward.
Dry your hands thoroughly. Paper toweling is suggested. Otherwise, fresh linens should be provided for personal use.
Use the toweling (preferably a dry section) to turn off the water and protect your hands from recontamination.
Use a clean paper towel to open the door when leaving a public restroom.
Don't forget to put your rings back on!


Always Wash Your Hands...
Before, during, and after food preparation
Before eating
After using the bathroom
After blowing your nose, or using a tissue to wipe your nose
After handling animals and /or animal waste
After changing diapers
Whenever your hands are dirty
Often if someone in your home is sick
Before and after contact with each patient

Answer 5

Not sure about New York, but there was just a case in Delaware County about two days ago. There was an outbreak at a high school.

Answer 6

What is MRSA?
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus is a common type of staph bacterium which lives on the skin and in the nasal passages of around 30% of the population. Mostly, this staph aureus bacterium does no harm and does not pose a problem with infection or require a cure. But, like many bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus has the ability to pose a serious infection problem, if you are feeling run down, ill, injured or if you have undergone any form of surgery. It can cause a very serious staph infection, if it enters the body, such as through open wounds, or instruments placed in the body, or by cross-contamination from another patient, nursing staff or specialist. Without proper treatment, this can lead to death or be difficult to cure.

MRSA infections are most commonly transmitted from person to person by touch. It is also possible to acquire MRSA infection from dust containing contaminated skin particles or from objects in the environment, or from surfaces that may be contaminated with the MRSA bacterium.

An antibiotic called Methicillin was used for the treatment and cure of infections caused by staph bacterium. The term 'Methicillin resistant' means that this type of antibiotic can no longer kill 100% of the staph bacterium and another antibiotic needs to be used, if available. If Methicillin can no longer be used for the treatment and cure of Staphylococcus aureus infection, it is medically referred to as MRSA.

The Causation of MRSA
Antibiotics have been in use for many years as a successfull treatment and cure for staph infections. However, these antibiotics have been overused, misused and over prescribed as a cure for staph aureus infection for many years. It is fairly common for people to not complete a course of antibiotics, or not use as prescribed. If this happens, it is probable that not 100% of the bacterium that caused staph infection will have been killed. Surviving staph bacterium develop a resistance to this antibiotic and multiply. As more and more antibiotics are prescribed, the number of staph bacterium that are able to resist those antibiotics become more numerous. The biggest problem with the use of antibiotics, is that they are non-focused. Therefore, they do not discriminate between good and bad bacteria, otherwise known as 'Flora' which can be found in the large intestines and form a large part of the bodies immune system. Without this immune system protection, 'superbugs' are free to develop.

Treatment of MRSA
MRSA can be treated with different antibiotics to Methicillin. However, this is becoming increasingly difficult. Medications, such as antiseptic wash and certain ointments can be used to remove MRSA from the nasal passages and skin. Even when it is doing no harm to the individual. However, there is now a new product that has been proven to be effective in killing all MRSA bacterium and a lot of other known pathogens. The New Silver Solution is non-toxic, proven in multiple tests at 200 times the recommended dosage. The New Silver Solution is the first colloidal silver product to attain a new patent in over 80 years. This product can be used internally, externally and as a surfectant, to both prevent and cure MRSA infection. The New Silver Solution can also be used with animals and all our test data shows it to be very effective.

CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of hospital-acquired infection (HAMRSA) that is becoming increasingly difficult to treat successfully because of evolutionary resistance to nearly all current antibiotic classes. The evolutionary origins of MRSA are not really understood. There is little collaboration done with MRSA and there is no consensus of opinion on the number of MRSA Resistant Strains or the relationship of strains emerging from different countries.

The most important factor in treatment of MRSA is the ability of killing all the bacteria present, therefore inhibiting the ability of any remaining bacteria to form a resistant strain.

Vancomycin was the "antibiotic of last resort" but resistance to Vancomycin is now arising from some of the MRSA strains. This is a depressing progression of increasing antibiotic resistance, which shows that drugs do not wipe out all the bacteria present. Doctors are now reluctant to prescribe antibiotics for the treatment of MRSA, which leaves us with nothing.

Tests on The New Silver Solution have proven to eliminate bacteria to a level where no traceability has been found. It is also safe to use for prolonged periods of time, unlike antibiotics, which are time-limited and have shown great weakness in total eradication.

The safest route for any individual, is to become immunised against infection in the first instance. If you present at a Hospital, pathogen and bacteria free, then carry on with your immunisation program during your stay and for a period after discharge, there is a very significant and highly reduced factor of infection from MRSA.

Gymnasiums and public faculties are also a breeding ground for CAMRSA - Commmunity Acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. CAMRSA is also on the increase. In some countries, like Africa, Iraq and the Middle East, it tops HAMRSA by a considerable degree. Wiping down equipment and avoiding sharing personal items with others, negates the spread of infection. The New Silver Solution can be used as a surfectant, as well as being taken internally for the prevention of MRSA.

Answer 7

yup it already hit new york. my school had an outbreak and all the toher schools aroudn it has. seriously this is crazy i would never think it would be here in my school. the prinicples say nobody has it but one girl had the symptoms and nasty rash on her arm ! its gross i hope you dont get it. practice gooood personal hygiene