infection control

You may have heard that the United States government has declared a “state of emergency” because of an outbreak of the swine flu. So what is swine flu all about and why is it a public health emergency?

Swine flu is a virus that originates in pigs.  It causes them to have respiratory symptoms similar to when a person gets the flu.  Normally, the virus spreads from pig to pig, but NOT to humans.  In the past, there were rare cases of people “catching” swine flu, but, in most of these cases, the people had contact with sick pigs.   read more »

How is MRSA Spread...and Can It Be Treated?

MRSA germs can be found on the skin, in the nose and in the blood or urine. Most commonly, the bacteria are spread between people through physical contact. In healthcare facilities, it is usually healthcare workers who spread the germs from patient to patient on their hands, clothing or instruments.

While MRSA bacteria do not travel through the air, they can live for days on personal items such as towels, washcloths, razors, clothing or uniforms—anything that has had contact with MRSA infected skin or body fluids.

The good news is that most MRSA infections are treatable with powerful antibiotics. The treatment may be in the form of a pill, an IV or a topical antibiotic cream. The most important part of treatment for an MRSA infection is that people follow the directions for taking the antibiotic—and don’t stop taking it just because they are feeling better or it looks like their infection is gone. That’s one of the reasons that staph bacteria became drug-resistant in the first place!  read more »

What Is MRSA?

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (or MRSA, for short) is a bacteria that has learned how to fight back against antibiotics in the penicillin family.  Staphylococcus Aureus--usually just called staph--is commonly found in the noses and on the skin of healthy people.  Normally, it is a harmless passenger, but when it turns toxic, it causes minor illnesses (like pimples and boils) or serious illnesses (like  pneumonia and toxic shock syndrome).

The antibiotic, methicillin, has been used for years to treat staph infections and is still successful in some cases.  However, MRSA germs are staph bacteria that have become SUPER BUGS.  They are drug-resistant!

Until recently, MRSA was rare, causing fewer than 1% of all staph infections seen in the hospital.  Today, things have changed dramatically.  The latest research found that of all the staph infections among intensive care patients, 65% of them are caused by MRSA!  read more »