Superbug not so superbad

Soap and water is best defense against MRSA

By FRITZ MAYER

UNITED STATES — Media outlets around the country are calling it a superbug. But it’s really a phenomenon that’s been around since at least 1961, and there are effective methods and treatments to cure it.

It’s called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and it’s really a common staph infection that is resistant to drugs. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), MRSA is most common in hospitals, where it infects patients who have undergone surgery or other medical procedures. But it can also strike individuals at home. In recent weeks, MRSA infections have claimed the lives of a 12-year-old student in Brooklyn, NY and a 17-year-old student in Virginia.

But usually, infection results in conditions that are much less severe, such as skin infections, boils and abscesses. Locally, a soldier on leave recently suffered a MRSA infection that caused a gaping wound that took many months to heal.

The deaths and rising number of infections have created interest among the nation’s lawmakers and on November 7, the director of the CDC, Julie Gerberding, testified about the matter before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

MRSA causes about 94,000 serious infections a year in the United States and causes about 18,000 deaths.

Gerberding said the staph bacteria is “not just floating around in the air.” It is passed from one person to another through close contact between two people, especially if one of them has a cut or abrasion. The staph can also live for periods of time on various surfaces, such as a volleyball or towel. She added, though, that the best prevention is good hygiene, such as washing hands with soap and water.

“We have to get back to basics. It’s hand hygiene, it’s not sharing personal materials that could be contaminated with someone’s staph. It’s taking care of wounds and keeping them covered,” she said.

Moreover, Gerberding said, while MRSA is resistant to both methicillin and penicillin, there are still many drugs, such as routine antibiotics, which can effectively treat MRSA infections.

Asked if schools close for cleaning if a single student gets MRSA, Gerberding said, “There’s no need to go in and disinfect a whole school because that isn’t how this organism is transmitted.” She added that bleach and other germicides could be used in routine cleanings in areas where bacteria cluster.

But while Gerberding said there is no cause for alarm, others want to take more dramatic action. New York Senator Chuck Schumer is calling for a nationwide reporting system of MRSA cases. In reaction to the death of the Brooklyn student, at a news conference on October 28, he said, “We need all hands on deck and all eyes watching to ensure this superbug doesn’t pop up again and lead to the same tragic outcome. Unfortunately, without labs and hospitals reporting MRSA infections, we’ll never know where the next case could pop up or if we have things fully under control.”

The Democratic senator said he would introduce legislation to help promote the collection of data regarding MRSA infection, and to help promote research to find new ways to treat superbugs.