Symptoms of MRSA - Articles - Zimbio

Special Dyes and Lighting Kill MRSA, Research Shows

Tue, 10 Sep 2008 15:19:00 GMT

posted by KeithConnects

Special Dyes and Lighting Kill MRSA, Research Shows
But new technologies don't replace basic infection control procedures, expert says

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- A new kind of paint that releases titanium dioxide when exposed to fluorescent light and a green dye for wounds that gives off toxic molecules when activated by near-infrared light could both kill the deadly superbug known as MRSA, two new studies claim.

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It's a strain of staph that's resistant to many antibiotics commonly used to treat it, and it can be fatal. Both reports were presented Tuesday at the Society for General Microbiology Autumn meeting at Trinity College in Dublin.

In the first study, British researcher Lucia Caballero, from Manchester Metropolitan University, found that paint that contained particles of titanium dioxide killed bacteria when it absorbed ultraviolet light.

"If this turns out, the impact is sure to be positive in the area of health," Caballero said.

The same reaction occurs when paints containing titanium dioxide are exposed to infrared light. The researchers found that the paint containing titanium dioxide successfully killed bacteria when the concentration of these nanoparticles was stronger than the normal paint. In fact, they found that all E. coli were killed with fluorescent lights.

"There are many circumstances where it is necessary or desirable to remove or to kill microorganisms found in a biological host or on surfaces," Caballero said. "Maintenance of hygienic standards is essential in hospitals, pharma and the food industry. Surface hygiene could be improved by the action of fluorescent light on catalytic surfaces, such as paints containing nanotitanium, for retarding contamination and saving on cost of cleaning maintenance."

In the second report, Dr. Ghada Omar, from University College London, found that 99 percent of the MRSA bacteria in infected wounds could be killed using a green dye that gives off toxic molecules when activated by infrared light.

"The chemicals produced when the dye is activated harm the bacteria in such a wide variety of ways that it is unlikely bacteria could ever develop resistance to the treatment," Omar said in a statement. "This makes it ideal, and possibly the only option, for treating infections with multiple drug-resistant bacteria, including MRSA."

Infected wounds are a major problem for thousands of hospital patients. Up to 9 percent of hospital-acquired infections occur during surgery and contribute to 77 percent of deaths from operations. These infections increase the length of time patients remain in hospital and increase costs, Omar noted.

Dr. Pascal James Imperato, Dean and Distinguished Service Professor of the Graduate Program in Public Health at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, said a lot more work needs to be done before these technologies become practical.

"It's very much in the experimental stage at this point," Imperato said. "It's an interesting new development, but one is going to have to see many more studies to determine whether or not this is really going to work."

Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine, thinks that basic cleanliness can do more to remove the threat of hospital infections than these new technologies.

"This technology is very promising, but it gets us away from the real issue, which is that we have a problem with cleanliness and sterility in hospitals," Siegel said. "The real issue is that doctors don't change their coats, change their gloves enough. We are not using hand wipes."

Siegel noted that soap and water, when used properly, gets rid of most of this bacteria.

"MRSA has been around for 20 years and is a symptom of our inability to properly clean and sterilize facilities, while, at the same time, we are overusing antibiotics," Siegel said.

More information

For more on MRSA, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCES: Lucia Caballero, Manchester Metropolitan University, U.K.; Marc Siegel, M.D., associate professor, medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York City, and author, Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic; Pascal James Imperato, M.D., M.P.H., dean and distinguished service professor, Graduate Program in Public Health, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York; Sept, 9, 2008, presentations, Society for General Microbiology Autumn meeting, Trinity College, Dublin

Last Updated: Sept. 10, 2008

http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=619228

Staph Infection Mercer Staph Infection

Mon, 21 Oct 2008 09:50:57 GMT

posted by snehatpr

Posted by liveyou 1 day 16 hours ago (http://ratevin.com)
Category: Health | Tags: staph infection mercer staph infection

State health officials have confirmed an outbreak of the antibiotic-resistant MRSA bacteria at the Poudre Fire Authority’s Fort Collins training center.

Several recruits from Boulder Fire-Rescue contracted the infection at the training center, which serves as part of a regional training facility for departments from Boulder to Longmont to Cheyenne and Fort Collins, PFA said.

“At this point, we cannot say for sure how this infec-tion started and subsequently spread through the academy recruits,” inspectors from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment wrote in a letter to Boulder fire officials this month.

PFA spokesman Patrick Love on Friday confirmed the outbreak, and said the center at 3400 W. Vine Drive has been cleaned, and that center managers are taking recommended steps to control the bacte-ria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

“Ever since we did find out about this, we have undergone a thorough cleaning of the entire facil-ity,” Love said. “There was no definite source that was found.”
Love said his research shows that MRSA is be-coming more common in the community, particu-larly in places where people spend a lot of time in close quarters, such as barracks or dorms.

The CDPHE letter continues: "We want to caution that it is unlikely MRSA will be totally eradicated from the Front Range Fire Academy. MRSA can be very contagious and its prevalence is currently increasing in many communities.
“Hence, even if you were to succeed with apparent eradication, MRSA will likely be reintroduced into your academy. Certain common features of your training academy such as close living conditions, frequent skin cuts and abrasions, and frequent recruit exchanges also make it difficult to control this problem.”

State inspectors recommended a series of changes to the way the training center is run, including limiting the number of overnight stays, more frequent cleanings and better surveillance of recruits' skin.

Outside of hospitals, MRSA often pops up as a skin infection, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Pre-vention. Love said that about 12 percent of the population carries the MRSA bacteria without actually being infected.
The CDC says MRSA infections can usually be cleared up with certain antibiotics, but that the infection can be fatal, espe-cially for people with weakened immune systems.

The state’s MRSA expert last month said he consid-ers the bacteria a “concern,” but noted the flu is far more deadly.

Related : ,staph, mercer staph infection
Tell a friend Bury

MRSA Death Scares Parents

Thu, 3 Oct 2008 20:43:00 GMT

posted by momlogic

A high school senior in Florida has died of MRSA ... here's how to lower the risk for your kids.

18-year-old high school football player Alonzo Smith died last weekend from MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus). It starts when bacteria gets into a cut, scrape or break in the skin. Now health workers are scrubbing down Liberty High School in central Florida to make sure the deadly MRSA infection doesn't spread.

With all the terrifying news about MRSA these days, we wanted to know 1) how freaked out should we be and 2) how can we keep our kids safe? We asked Dr. Sheldon L. Kaplan, chief of Infectious Disease Service at Texas Children's Hospital. His first point? Something you're already telling them.

1. Discourage kids from picking their noses. Staphylococcus aureus (the bacteria that causes MRSA) lives in many people's noses, so if you notice your kids doing it, make sure they wash their hands immediately afterward.

2. Keep kids' nails short and clean. This will help prevent bacteria from growing under their nails and cut down on germs spread by scratching and aforementioned nose-picking.

3. Keep an eye on insect bites or sores. If a sore is especially red or is starting to ooze, you should take your child to a doctor. If caught early, most cases of staph can be treated with antibiotics or topical ointments.

4. Never allow your kids to share washcloths or towels. Not even with siblings or family members. Children should have their own designated washcloth and towel -- no sharing.

5. Encourage frequent hand-washing. Hand-washing is your best defense against MRSA.

6. Always cover open sores or wounds with a bandage. Any open wound is a potential entry point for MRSA.

7. Discourage teens from sharing razors with others. Sharing a razor with an infected person could allow MRSA to enter the bloodstream.

8. Don't push doctors to prescribe antibiotics for viral infections. Overuse of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistance.

As to how freaked out we should be, Dr. Kaplan says parents have every right to be worried, but there's no cause for panic. Most cases of MRSA can be treated with antibiotics, with exceptions ... and it's those exceptions that are all over the news right now.

Antibacterial Soaps and Sanitizers

Mon, 26 Aug 2008 20:35:00 GMT

posted by Erin5217
Not a fun post today, but a necessary one. Yesterday I was diagnosed with a staph infection, possibly MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), an antibiotic-resistant strain. Who knows how I got it. Possibly the gym. My doctor said it's going around in near-epidemic proportions.

The best thing you can do to prevent getting it is to practice good hygiene. I wash my hands probably six or more times a day and shower daily (sometimes twice), so it's a bit frustrating. The new strains of staph are pesky buggers. Instead of hunting for the coolest new beauty products, I've been researching soaps and sanitizers. Good health is beautiful, no?

My father, a physician, recommended washing my staph wound (on my upper arm) and my entire body with Hibiclens, an antiseptic body wash. It's behind the pharmacy counter at Target. I also picked up CleanWell All-Natural Hand Sanitizer. It has an all-natural formula and is proven to kill 99.99% of germs. It's going everywhere with me.

With any luck, my antibiotics will kick in, and combined with my sparkling sanitary hygiene, I'll be rid of this bug soon.

Wildflower extract can kill MRSA

Sun, 9 Jun 2008 02:29:00 GMT

posted by michaelannb
Natural News is reporting that extracts of two wildflower, the Pasque flower and elecampane, eliminated 100% of MRSA-- Multidrug Resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria-- on contact.

From its first reported case in 1961, MRSA is believed to now kill more people in the U.S. than AIDS. There were almost 300,000 cases reported in the U.S. in 2005.

The research was carried out at Cork University Hospital.

This is why I say there's hope for the world; for every problem there's an answer. We just have to find the will to force our government to the people first and the corporations second.Atom

<$BlogFeedsVertical$>