Story Published:
Nov 20, 2007 at 9:22 PM CST
Story Updated:
Nov 20, 2007 at 9:22 PM CST
Tonight ... the final installment of our series on MRSA. It's fast becoming a household word.
In 1974, MRSA accounted for two percent of all staph infections in the U.S. By 1995 it was 22 percent, and in 2004 ... 63 percent.
The CDC says it caused more than 94,000 life-threatening infections and nearly 19,000 deaths in this country in 2005 ... more than the AIDS virus.
This is how an MRSA infection starts -- small red bumps that resemble pimples, boils or spider bites. Antibiotics are a staple in the American pharmaceutical diet, but experts say this particular bug is resistant to most drugs.
"So the more we give antibiotics, the more resistance we create," explained Our Lady of the Lake's Director of Quality and Patient Safety, Dr. Richard Vath.
But antibiotics are a hot item this time of year.
"I think all medications are over-used by most people," said one local resident.
"Mom and dad want something for their kid," said another.
"I really don't know since I don't have much interaction with them," replied one man.
"Actually we kind of overprotect our kids," said another resident.
Researchers say they've figured out how MRSA beats the body's own immune system. According to a report in the journal, Nature Medicine, the bacteria secretes a compound that causes germ-fighting cells to explode. There are two basic drugs to treat MRSA: Vancamicin and Zivox.
"So the answer is not to over treat, then we'll create more and more resistance," Dr. Vath said.
One percent of the population are carriers. So for a school of 500 students, that's five student carriers. But schools aren't the only places the bacteria can spread -- prisons, hospitals and gyms can also be culprits. State health officials say basic hygiene is crucial, and you don't have to go all-out.
"You would mop the floor, you would sometimes disinfect the table with chlorine, some soapy material, Lysol or other products, nothing extraordinary," said State Epidemiologist Dr. Raoult Ratard.
Experts say when it comes to fighting super staph, it's not necessarily the product but the process that can make the difference.
The state doesn't count skin cases because they're so common -- only the invasive ones -- when the bacteria is in the blood and spinal fluid. There are usually about 700 to 900 of those a year.
To help cut down on the resistance to antibiotics, the CDC recommends only treating patients with an active MRSA infection and not just a skin infection.
