What to Know About the New Drug-Resistant Staph Infection
The US Government reported on Tuesday that over 90,000 Americans get drug-resistant staff “superbug†infections each year. The incidence rate has risen to 32 per 100,000 people reported the Journal of American Medical Associates who completed the study. It is estimated that the deaths associated with this deadly infection could exceed those caused by AIDS. But what is this new infection and how can you prevent it?
The staph infections evaluated in this study are those that enter the bloodstream or destroy flesh. Most mild staff cases cause mild skin irritations. The most common of these is abbreviated MRSA The invasive type of infection is most commonly found in individuals who either work in the health care system or patients who have recently had surgery where open wounds or exposure to medical equipment are frequent. However, the occurrence of this deadly infection has spread out to include incidences in prisons, gyms, locker rooms and even schools. A 17-year-old Virginia High School senior died on Monday due to the disease, prompting closure of three schools in the area for a thorough disinfecting cleansing.
Officials are pushing for better preventative measures for this disease including curbing the overuse of antibiotics and improving hand-washing and other cleaning procedures in hospitals. Health officials believe that it is the overuse of penicillin-related antibiotics that have made this once treatable bacterium immune to conventional treatment.
More information is sure to arise in the coming months as this issue is brought to light. In the meantime, keep you and your family safe by washing your hands as often as necessary. If you get an unidentifiable sore on your arms or legs that look kind of like a pimple, go to the doctor to rule out a staph infection or to get it treated and bandaged. The early detection of this could help save your life.
January 5th, 2008 at 9:46 am
[...] Jillian was battling leukemia but unexpectedly passed on at an Irvine, California hospital due to a staph infection. She was [...]
January 13th, 2008 at 9:05 am
[...] I wanted to give readers an update on what is being done at some hospitals to help the drug-resistant staph infection problem reported in October (read “What to Know about the New Drug Resistant Staph Infection”). [...]