MRSA superbug infection- affecting communities, schools, hospitals and more.
MRSA, or Methicillin Resistance Staph Aureus has almost become a household name over the last few years. While it used to be confined to prisons and hospitals, this superbug has become a community invader affecting 25-35% of the general population. You read it correctly, 1 out of 3 to 1 out of 4 people have this superbug on their skin or in their nose! Most people however have no active infection. Those who do get acutely infected usually think they have a “spider bit”, thinking a brown recluse got them. However, out of the hundreds of cases I have seen, only one person ever saw a spider bite them, and it was not a brown recluse. The majority of those with active infection do fine, although some have become gravely ill and died from it. Those with weakened immunity are at higher risk.
MRSA is a staphylococcal bacteria that over the years has developed resistance to almost all the antibiotics we have. There are only a few oral pills that effectively kill this bug. These include TMP-SMX (Bactrim or Septra), Clindamycin (sometimes) and occasionally doxycycline. If these don’t work, patients are usually hospitalized and placed on IV Vancomycin, one of the strongest antibiotics available.
Frequently, doctors also prescribe topical ointments such as bactroban or Altabax which can also help those who are infected or colonized. A recent study tested common over the counter medications and their effectiveness against this sometimes deadly bug. However, self treating with these medications should NEVER prevent you from seeing a physician as usually, the ointments are only used in addition to oral antibiotics. For more information, visit the CDC or read the article below
Best Treatment Identified To Reduce Deadly Staph Infections, According To Expert
ScienceDaily (2007-12-04) — One type of over-the-counter product for topical wound care is more effective than others in killing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, or MRSA, which is potentially deadly and in recent years has moved from its historic hospital setting to a much broader public concern. … > read full article
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