MRSA Infection

Cleaning will work with C Difficile

Link: Good old fashioned soap and water the answer for "superbug".

C. difficile is harder to eradicate from wards than MSRA, as it's resistant spores survive for a long time in the environment, clinging to floors, tables, curtains and equipment and is easily passed on as people touch them. The cleanliness campaign triggered by MRSA means hospitals are now flooded with alcohol hand wipes, which staff and visitors are urged to use before entering wards and touching patients. But unfortunately the handwipes will not eradicate C. difficile, the only thing that works is good old-fashioned soap and water. In wards where there is perceived to be a problem, it is back to scrubbing with detergent and disinfectants containing bleach. The slightly off target hysteria associated with MRSA and dirty wards , which is passed by human contact, but does not hang around on table tops, it is very much to the point with C. difficile. The rapid rise in cases of C. difficile does suggest that for the NHS to get Britain's hospitals up to a level of cleanliness, which will make it hard for this pernicious bug to flourish, there is a great deal to do.

Difficile Alarm

Link: Telegraph

But other experts said the spread of the infection was causing growing alarm in the medical profession. Prof Mark Willcox, a consultant microbiologist who worked on a team investigating C difficile and which reported to ministers, said that a new strain was causing severe illness in some cases. "Most worrying is not how many cases we are having but this new strain which first appeared in Canada about two or three years ago," he said.

Huddersfield Difficile Figures

Link: icHuddersfield - Hundreds catch bug in hospitals.

ALMOST 300 patients in local hospitals contracted a serious diarrhoea bug last year, new figures show. Some 297 patients over the age of 65 developed clostridium difficile (C difficile) in the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust area in 2004. It was the first year that the Government had monitored rates for the infection. Results for the trust - responsible for Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, St Luke's Hospital at Crosland Moor and the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax - showed there were 1.42 cases per 1,000 bed days across the area.

New Drug Could Disrupt MRSA Activity

Link: Scientific American.com

MRSA carry a unique protein called PBP 2a on the cell membrane that plays a key role in helping to defend against antibiotics. In February, Shahriar Mobashery of Notre Dame University and his colleagues identified specific components of the bacterial cell wall that interact with PBP 2a to form a chemical barricade. The team has now made three new synthetic antibiotics based on cephalosporin, a close relative of penicillin. The compounds contain protein components that mimic the crucial parts of the cell wall that cooperate with PBP 2a, which leads to its deactivation and forces the bacterium to succumb to the medication. "We are the first to demonstrate this unique strategy," Mobashery says, "which could provide a new line of defense against the growing problem of antibiotic resistance." ADVERTISEMENT (article continues below) The scientists tested the novel compounds against vancomycin-resistant MRSA and found that they successfully killed the bacteria, whereas a class of conventional antibiotics known as beta-lactams did not. One of the compounds has since begun Phase I clinical studies, but it will take more studies and time before it can be widely marketed. "As scientists, we're trying to stay one step ahead of the bacteria," Mobashery notes. "The more strategies there are to fight resistance, the better." --Sarah Graham

C Diff strikes teenager

Link: Mirror.co.uk

TEENAGER Jamie-Lee Healey has told how she nearly died from a hospital superbug after surgery to remove a toenail. The 15-year-old became one of the youngest victims of clostridium difficile which normally strikes the elderly, is more common than MRSA and harder to tackle. She and her family are angry at doctors they allege did not think she was ill, removed her appendix because they wrongly believed she had appendicitis and accused her of being pregnant before finally making the right diagnosis. "I was in so much pain but they were saying it was all in my head," said Jamie-Lee. "It got so bad I thought I was going to die."

20% are potential C Diff sufferers

Link: Hunting good bacteria.

This causes about 20% of people taking antibiotics to suffer from antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, which is often caused by Clostridium difficile. This bacterium is able to withstand the attack of antibiotics, so it multiplies in the intestines, and has itself a jolly good time. “The C. difficile will increase in numbers such that it causes detrimental effects on the host. It can go beyond diarrhoea to pseudo-membranous colitis, which can be fatal in infants.”

Suffolk Hospitals respond to C Diff figures

Link: East Anglian Daily Times news.

Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust, which runs Colchester General Hospital, said it believed it had the 12th lowest cases of C difficile in district general hospitals in the country and the lowest of all similar hospitals in the eastern region. Dr Tony Elston, its infection control lead, said: “There is no major problem at Essex Rivers and there is certainly no need for panic. “We have performed reasonably well, as the figures show. We are working hard to improve the quality of antibiotic prescribing, which may help us to reduce the numbers even further.” James Paget Healthcare Trust, which runs James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, had 289 cases between January and December 2004. Elayne Guest, spokeswoman, said: “During the course of any year you always have isolated cases. In this 12-month period there were 289 cases, but compared to the number of people actually admitted to the hospital, this figure is not huge.” A spokesman for Ipswich Hospital Trust said it had been concerned about C difficile for some time. “We have already implemented a number of measures to tackle this issue, such as changing our antibiotic policy, and are pursing more in order to achieve our ultimate aim of eliminating this very serious infection,” he said. “We are also working hard to improve standards of cleanliness at the hospital which, again, should help us reduce the risk of patients becoming infected with C difficile. For example, we now have a number of ward housekeepers who are making a real difference.” Dr Louise Teare, clinical director and director of infection control for Mid Essex Hospital Services Trust, which runs Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, said: “Obviously we take these statistics very seriously. “We can never become complacent with statistics such as these. However, the antibiotic control and infection control procedures in place means we hope to minimise these figures further.”

Phages and Light could be MRSA answer

Link: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Light-activated antimicrobial agents (photosensitizers) are promising alternatives to antibiotics for the treatment of topical infections. To improve efficacy and avoid possible damage to host tissues, targeting of the photosensitizer to the infecting organism is desirable, and this has previously been achieved using antibodies and chemical modification of the agent. In this study we investigated the possibility of using a bacteriophage to deliver the photosensitizer tin(IV) chlorin e6 (SnCe6) to Staphylococcus aureus. SnCe6 was covalently linked to S. aureus bacteriophage 75, and the ability of the conjugate to kill various strains of S. aureus when exposed to red light was determined. Substantial kills of methicillin- and vancomycin-intermediate strains of S. aureus were achieved using low concentrations of the conjugate (containing 1.5 �g/ml SnCe6) and low light doses (21 J/cm2). Under these conditions, the viability of human epithelial cells (in the absence of bacteria) was largely unaffected. On a molar equivalent basis, the conjugate was a more effective bactericide than the unconjugated SnCe6, and killing was not growth phase dependent. The conjugate was effective against vancomycin-intermediate strains of S. aureus even after growth in vancomycin. The results of this study have demonstrated that a bacteriophage can be used to deliver a photosensitizer to a target organism, resulting in enhanced and selective killing of the organism. Such attributes are desirable in an agent to be used in the photodynamic therapy of infectious diseases.

ceftobiprole medocaril an alternative to vancomycin?

Link: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

After 7 days of therapy with ceftobiprole medocaril or vancomycin, average counts of MRGR3 decreased significantly (P < 0.02) by 0.68  0.28 (n = 29) and 0.88  0.22 (n = 28) log CFU/ml of tissue cage fluid, respectively, compared with cages of untreated animals, but were not significantly different from each other. No resistant mutants were detected on ceftobiprole-supplemented agar following therapy with this cephalosporin. The in vivo activity of ceftobiprole medocaril against chronic MRSA foreign-body infections was equivalent to that of vancomycin and did not lead to the emergence of resistant subpopulations.

Unions say more cleaners would help with C Diff

Link: Independent Online Edition > Health Medical : app2.

Karen Jennings, head of health at the public service union Unison, said: "It's not rocket science. The way to wipe out these superbugs is to have cleaner hospitals and if you want cleaner hospitals you must have more cleaners. Cleaners are the front line of defence and yet contracting out has led to a drastic cut in the number of hospital cleaners. It's time to put that right. Employ more cleaners, give them training and decent equipment and let them get on with the job of keeping our hospital wards, operating theatres and departments spotlessl . We can wipe out these superbugs and shake off the image of England as the superbug capital of Europe."

C Diff figures anger Tories

Link: Conservative Party - Press release.

Commenting on the results of the first ever nation-wide mandatory surveillance schemes for Clostridium difficile, Shadow Health Minister, Simon Burns said: "I am startled at the number of elderly people who have caught the super bug Clostridium difficile. People should be going to hospital to get better not worse. The Government have poured money into the NHS but superbugs continue to proliferate unabated. "The first steps to cleaner hospitals are to scrap Labour's political targets and put Matron in charge with the authority to shut dirty wards. Only then will the superbug crisis under Labour end".

Tourists warned of tattoo risks

Link: Tourists warned of tattoo risks.

Tourists warned of tattoo risks. Irish people travelling abroad have been warned of the dangers of getting a tattoo from unlicensed artists, following an outbreak of the 'superbug' MRSA among people who attended a tattoo parlour in America. According to the Tropical Medical Bureau (TMB), five people, all of whom recently received tattoos from the same unlicensed practitioner in Vermont, developed MRSA. Officials there believe that the bacterial infection is more than likely related to the tattoos. Efforts are now being made to halt the spread of infection.

Technology Provides Plastics Products Disease Fighting Protection

Link: Technology Provides Plastics Products Disease Fighting Protection.

Polygiene technology incorporates silver ions into contact surfaces of plastics and other products where they attack all bacteria and viruses. The Hilton Milan is the first hotel in the world to introduce the safeguard of toilet seats incorporating Polygiene technology. As part of its ongoing pursuit to provide clientele with a safe as well as comfortable environment, the Hilton Milan has outfitted the bathrooms of its 319 suites and executive rooms with toilet seats made using Polygiene technology. Developed by Perstorp AB, a world leader in niche specialty chemicals and materials markets, Polygiene is an antibacterial and antiviral technology that breaks the transmission path of disease by killing bacteria, yeasts and viruses on contact. Its effectiveness has been proven against a range of pathogens including Escheria Coli and the pervasive MRSA superbug. Moreover, products incorporating Polygiene are the first known to kill the SARS virus on contact.

Cleaners fired after BBC show

Link: icSolihull

TWO cleaners have been sacked following a recent BBC Panorama programme revealing 'frightening' lapses in cleaning standards at Heartlands Hospital. The three star hospital, which with Solihull Hospital, makes up the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust was shown to break a number of routine rules designed to stop infections. A director at Heartlands Hospital said: "We can confirm that two of the cleaners highlighted in the Panorama programme have since been dismissed by Initial Hospital Services. Initial has assured us that any other staff who appeared in the programme have been disciplined as appropriate and thoroughly re-trained so they meet the high standards we expect here." The programme showed cleaners who the BBC described as "great at making things look clean - without actually cleaning them as they should." The programme makers said they witnessed: "cleaners who routinely break basic rules designed to stop infections spreading; and some medical staff who ignore isolation room procedures and risk spreading serious infection around their hospital."

C Diff kills twice as many as MRSA

Link: Britain

According to the Office of National Statistics, C difficile was mentioned in 1,748 death certificates in 2003 and described as the underlying cause of death in 934. In contrast, MRSA, another frequently-cited superbug, was mentioned in 955 death certificates and described as the cause of death in 321. Chief Nursing Officer Christine Beasley said today that C difficile infections occur as a result of courses of antibiotics.

Surrey Company Needs MRSA Drug Cash

Link: Surrey Advertiser - Business.

A RESEARCH-based biopharmaceutical company at the University of Surrey’s research Park has made a significant breakthrough in the discovery of an antibiotic to fight the deadly MRSA virus. RecombinoGen Ltd,  which was set up last November to develop new  antibiotics, has discovered a drug  which is able to kill superbugs such as MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus)  in a petri dish. But to see if it works on humans and to turn it into a commercially viable proposition, the company will need to raise around �5 million. The company has already joined the university’s SETsquared centre on the Surrey Research Park to prepare for investment funding, crucial to its future. And following a series of meetings this week, it is  hopeful to acquire a grant from either  a major charity and  a venture capitalist or by forming an alliance with another company.

Lethal hospital bug cases rocket

Link: BBC NEWS

While MRSA has dominated most of the headlines, these latest statistics have showed that C.difficile is nearly seven times more common. Office for National Statistics data has showed C.difficile was the underlying cause of 934 deaths in 2003. MRSA is linked to a similar number. Chief nursing officer Christine Beasley said: "We have seen a rise in cases over the past decade, some of which is due to better reporting, but much of which is due to the increased number of patients with serious underlying illness who need antibiotics." She said the C. difficile, which stands for Clostridium difficile, will now be included in the government programme to fight MRSA.

Two hospital cleaners dismissed

Link: BBC NEWS

Two cleaners at a Birmingham hospital have been sacked after an investigation into poor standards of hygiene was prompted by a BBC documentary. An undercover Panorama reporter found basic rules, put in place to combat the spread of conditions like MRSA, were being broken at Heartlands Hospital. Cleaners were witnessed using a single bucket of water to clean a whole ward. The sacked pair are employed by Initial Hospital Services. Eight other cleaners have received warnings. Chief executive of Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust, Mark Goldman, told BBC WM: "Initial, who provide the cleaning services here at Heartlands Hospital, have been through a full disciplinary process.

Health Dept. Looking at Southern New Mexico Prison

Link: ABQJOURNAL

The state Department of Health is looking at medical and hygiene practices at Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility after some employees raised concerns about a staph infection.     Epidemiologists spent the first three days of the week examining practices at the prison west of Las Cruces, "looking at charts and reviewing hygiene,'' said a Health Department spokesman, Chris Minnick.     The investigation came after some correctional officers contended cases of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA, were going untreated.     The department will look at how many people have the infection and how they contracted it.     Its analysis will not be released for about a week, but the state Correction Department's health services director, Frank Pullaro, said preliminary findings show the prison's practices are up to par.

Nurse Uniform Public Ban Not Universal

Link: Evening Star - Lively, Loyal, Local.

COMMUNITY nurses in east Suffolk will not be banned from wearing their uniforms in shops and public buildings, health bosses said today. A primary care trust in Sunderland hit the headlines earlier this week when their staff were told of the controversial proposal. Sunderland health bosses said the move had been made to reflect the current infection control agenda and in response to public fears over superbugs like MRSA. Around 300 community nurses, who visit patients in their homes, have been told not to use any shops while on duty and in uniform. But the Suffolk East Primary Care Trusts have confirmed they have no plans to adopt such a strict ruling. Jeremy Peters, spokesman for the Suffolk East PCTs, said: "Generally, staff are not banned from wearing their uniform while not working but if they have to wear it, for various practical reasons, they are asked to cover it with a coat whilst in public places.

Infection Risk Results In New Hygiene Stations

Link: Guardian Series

Last line is provocative

THE risk of hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA has caused hygiene measures at Newham University Hospital to be stepped up. Hygiene stations with prominent signposts reading "please clean your hands", along with an alcohol-based handrub have been installed at the entrances to wards and clinical areas at the hospital. Despite not having high-profile handwashing facilities, Newham University Hospital Trust's MRSA infection rate is lower than that at Whipps Cross, according to latest Government figures.

In Safe Hands

Link: In Safe Hands (from Enfield Independent).

England and Spurs goalie Paul Robinson is helping North Middlesex Hospital to kick-start a campaign to beat MRSA. The sports hero visited the hospital in Sterling Way, Edmonton, on Monday to launch its Clean Your Hands' campaign. The campaign, arranged in conjunction with the National Patient Safety Agency, encourages the UK's NHS trusts to beat germs by urging patients, visitors and staff to regularly use alcohol hand gel at bedsides. Posters will be on display across the hospital to help get the message across, along with photographs of staff who are lending their support to the campaign.

BBC under fire for superbug stunt

Link: HEN News : Harlow Star

HOSPITAL bosses have criticised the BBC after volunteers armed with mops and dusters walked in unannounced as part of a new show aimed at highlighting the problem of MRSA. Ten people walked into Harlow's Princess Alexandra Hospital and nine other hospitals across the country for a BBC Three documentary on dirty hospitals and the prevalence of MRSA. The volunteers, who have all been affected by the superbug in some way, received training from infection control nurses before entering PAH with a TV crew with the intention of performing an impromptu clean-up. The hospitals were chosen as they were all deemed to be underachieving on MRSA by the Healthcare Commission. However, a PAH NHS Trust spokesman said they only got as far as the main corridor beyond the front entrance before they were challenged by PAH's real cleaners and walked out. Police were called to ensure they left.

Relatives make call over MRSA

Link: RTE News -

Relatives of people affected by the superbug MRSA have called for continuous inspections in hospitals and for the setting up of an office to which the families of patients can make complaints. The call by the support group, MRSA and Families, follows a disclosure that 8,000 patients tested positive for the potentially fatal superbug last year. Up to now the Department of Health has claimed there were about 500 cases of MRSA in hospitals last year.

VRE Action Needed Says Scottish MP

Link: Evening Telegraph: News.

Efforts to tackle a potentially fatal superbug in Scots hospitals could be thwarted by inadequate staffing levels and poor infection control measures, writes Graeme Strachan. Dundee MSP Shona Robison welcomed measures put in place by the Scottish Executive to combat the growing spread of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in hospitals. However, the SNP’s health spokeswoman expressed concern at the potential for infection with staff having to “rush” their work due to inadequate staffing levels. She’s also worried that, as some NHS boards have a higher success rate with infection control measures than others, there could be a lack of consistency in tackling VRE in hospitals. Last year there were 500 cases of VRE in Scotland, which breaks down the body’s resistance to other bacteria and can lead to illnesses such as septicaemia and pneumonia. The Scottish Executive has launched a �15m campaign to counter VRE and other hospital bugs.

Irish Alarm Over Bloodstream Infections

Link: Irish Times Article

Health authorities had previously indicated the total number of MRSA bloodstream infections for 2004 was about 500 but details of how many infections were found in each hospital were not published. The figures obtained by The Irish Times reveal that the highest numbers of MRSA bloodstream infections were in large hospitals such as Dublin's Mater, which had 77 patients with MRSA bloodstream infections and St James's Hospital, which had 65 cases. High numbers of MRSA bloodstream infections were also found at Galway's University College Hospital and Merlin Park Regional Hospital. The Health Service Executive (HSE) Western Area stressed it could not be assumed hospitals with higher numbers of cases have the biggest problem. "It may simply be that they try harder to detect and document the scale of the problem and that they have more very sick people admitted," it said.

Mop Brigade Protest Germ Grime

Link: EDP24 News.

A group of campaigners from Norfolk were part of a swoop on some of the country's hospitals in a bid to highlight MRSA. On Sunday, about 100 people who have been affected by MRSA, armed with mops and dusters, visited 10 hospitals from some of the country's worst-hit trusts. The impromptu clean-up was part of a BBC Three documentary to be shown this autumn raising awareness of dirty hospitals and the prevalence of MRSA. All took part to register their disgust at MRSA rates and the state of hospital cleanliness. Among them was Keith Hall, who set up a Norwich branch of MRSA Support after his wife Anne died in 2003 after contracting the condition in the Norfolk and Norwich Univer-sity Hospital. Along with other branch members, he visited Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, although the nearest hospital involved in the programme was Addenbrooke's in Cambridge.

6,000 MRSA patiernts in Eire last year

Link: ::: u.tv :::.

It is reported that some 6,000 patients were infected by the MRSA superbug in Irish hospitals last year.   A further 2,000 tested positive for a range of other potentially fatal infections. The figures have been released under the Freedom of Information Act. Patients` groups are criticising the reluctance of some hospitals to release details of the number of people who pick up infections while they are treating them. Dublin`s Beaumont Hospital refused to release details of infections, saying it would give a "seriously misleading picture" which could prejudice testing and staff management.

Bomb survivor contracts super bug [24aug05]

Link: Herald Sun: .

AN Australian survivor of the London bombings has had surgery to save her foot after contracting a potentially deadly infection prevalent in British hospitals. Alison Sayer said she picked up the MRSA infection while in St Mary's Hospital for 10 days following the bomb blasts which killed 52 people in central London on July 7. Ms Sayer, 36, from the Blue Mountains in NSW, was treated in the hospital in west London for facial injuries and a shattered knee. Soon after being discharged, however, a gash in her left ankle flared up and she was diagnosed as having picked up the drug-resistant infection. She required several operations in a private hospital to cut out the infected tissue to save her foot.

Zoobiotic may fight MRSA in Europe

Link: icWales - Zoobiotic may fight MRSA in Europe.

WALES' first NHS spin-out company may be on the verge of signing international licence agreements for its maggot-based antibacterial technology. Bridgend-based Zoobiotic is understood to have been approached by Polish and French drug companies that have been impressed by the treatments which could potentially fight the hospital superbug MRSA. A forthcoming television documentary will feature Polish doctors who claim that Zoo-biotic's therapy saved the life of a boy who lost his legs in a traffic accident.

Five who recently got tattoos severely infected

Link: CBS 6 Albany.

Vermont state officials are investigating the source of bacterial infections among five young people in Middlebury, all of whom recently received tattoos. Two of the people who came down with the infection, known as MRSA, had to be hospitalized. State law forbids anyone who is not licensed from doing tattoos or body piercings. It requires those who have a license to use sterilized instruments. Officials say they have a suspect tattoo artist in mind, but have not publicly identified who that is.

MRSA - Making endocarditis worse

Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

Thirty-one patients with nosocomial MRSA infective endocarditis between October 1996 and May 2003. DESIGN: A retrospective chart review was conducted. Data were compared with those from a control group of patients with nosocomial MRSA bacteremia. Logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for nosocomial infective endocarditis. RESULTS: Compared with patients who had nosocomial MRSA bacteremia and no infective endocarditis, patients who had infective endocarditis had a higher incidence of chronic liver disease and a lower incidence of immunodeficiency. The risk of developing infective endocarditis was approximately 10% for patients with nosocomial MRSA bacteremia. CONCLUSION: Patients with MRSA bacteremia and underlying chronic liver disease were prone to infective endocarditis.

MRSA a problem for Needle Drug Addicts

Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

An epidemic spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among intravenous drug users (IDUs) has been observed in Zurich. In the present study we investigated the situation in the Grisons, Switzerland. A total of 191 nose swabs from 111 IDUs and 80 caregivers was analyzed. None of the caregivers was MRSA positive. Six IDUs were asymptomatic MRSA carriers (5.4%). They participated in the official heroin program (MRSA prevalence in this group 16%). The MRSA genotype was identical with the single clone found in IDUs in Zurich, strongly suggesting an epidemic spread. Decolonization was successful in two persons only. Persistence of MRSA in IDUs must therefore be assumed.

MRSA postive patients must be followed up

Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

At the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), follow-up implies an inventory of risk factors and screening for MRSA colonization among all MRSA-positive patients for at least 6 months. If risk factors or positive cultures persist or re-emerge, longer follow-up is indicated and isolation at readmission. This study investigated how long MRSA-positive patients remained colonized after hospital discharge and which risk factors were important. Furthermore, the results of eradication therapy were evaluated.  A total of 135 patients were included in the study. The median follow-up time was 1.2 years. Eighteen percent of the patients were dismissed from follow-up 1 year after discharge. Only 5 patients were dismissed after 6 months. Among patients with no risk factors, eradication treatment was effective for 95% within 1 year. Among patients with persistent risk factors, treatment was effective for 89% within 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, eradication therapy should be prescribed for all MRSA carriers, independent of the presence of risk factors. MRSA-positive patients should be evaluated for 6 months for the presence of risk factors and MRSA carriage. Screening for risk factors is important because intermittent MRSA carriage was found in a significant number of our patients. Patients with negative MRSA cultures and without risk factors for 12 months can be safely dismissed from follow-up.

Decolonising staff an MRSA key

Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

OBJECTIVES: To describe an outbreak of hospital-acquired MRSA in a NICU and to identify the risk factors for, outcomes of, and interventions that eliminated it. SETTING: An 18-bed, level III-IV NICU in a community hospital. METHODS: Interventions to control MRSA included active surveillance, aggressive contact isolation, and cohorting and de-colonization of infants and HCWs with MRSA. A case-control study was performed to compare infants with and without MRSA. RESULTS: A cluster of 6 cases of MRSA infection between September and October 2001 represented an increased attack rate of 21.2% compared with 5.3% in the previous months. Active surveillance identified unsuspected MRSA colonization in 6 (21.4%) of 28 patients and 6 (5.5%) of 110 HCWs screened. They were all successfully decolonized. There was an increased risk of MRSA colonization and infection among infants with low birth weight or younger gestational age. Multiple gestation was associated with an increased risk of colonization (OR, 37.5; CI95, 3.9-363.1) and infection (OR, 5.36; CI95, 1.37-20.96). Gavage feeding (OR, 10.33; CI95, 1.28-83.37) and intubation (OR, 5.97; CI95, 1.22-29.31) were associated with increased risk of infection. Infants with MRSA infection had a significantly longer hospital stay than infants without MRSA (51.83 vs 21.46 days; P = .003). Rep-PCR with mec typing and PVL analysis confirmed the presence of a single common strain of hospital-acquired MRSA. CONCLUSION: Active surveillance, aggressive implementation of contact isolation, cohorting, and decolonization effectively eradicated MRSA from the NICU for 2 1/2 years following the outbreak.

Mupirocin - only for the colonised?

Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

From 1990 to 1995 at Hospital Universitrio Clementino Fraga Filho, patients colonized or infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were treated with mupirocin to eliminate MRSA carriage. In 1995, 65% of MRSA patients at this hospital had mupirocin-resistant isolates. Starting in 1996, mupirocin use was restricted to patients colonized, but not infected, with MRSA. . RESULTS: The incidence density of MRSA patients increased slightly over time, whereas the purchase of mupirocin decreased dramatically. Mupirocin-resistant MRSA infections decreased from 65% in 1994-1995 to 15% in 1999-2000. The MRSA Brazilian clone, detected in 1992, was still highly prevalent. The same ileS-2 encoding plasmid found in 1994-1995 persisted in three identical MRSA isolates from 1999-2000 belonging to the Brazilian clone. CONCLUSIONS: After mupirocin use decreased, the ileS-2 encoding plasmid persisted in only a few Brazilian clone isolates. Our data on mupirocin-resistant MRSA incidence and mupirocin use strongly suggested that restricted use was related to decreased rates of mupirocin resistance at our hospital.

Hundreds of Hospital Staff Carry MRSA Bug

Link: RedNova News.

HUNDREDS of NHS staff are carrying deadly hospital superbugs, according to the first official figures on the controversial issue. The Mail on Sunday used Freedom of Information laws to ask England's 170 hospital trusts how many of their doctors and nurses are carrying MRSA, which kills at least 1,000 people a year in this country. Astonishingly, our enquiries revealed that many hospitals do not test staff at all for MRSA and some that do simply refused to reveal their figures. But the data made available by a handful of hospital trusts shows that an average of ten staff from each has the bug, with figures as high as 42 in one trust. If the infection rates are similar across England, it suggests 1,700 medical staff are carrying the bug. Last night campaigners warned that doctors and nurses are largely responsible for the spread of hospitalacquired infections such as MRSA. Tony Field, of the group MRSA Support, said: 'Staff should be tested. What we need is infection prevention rather than infection control.' In total there are at least 300,000 hospital infections of all kinds and 5,000 deaths a year, costing the NHS Pounds 1billion in extra care.

Fight MRSA with anti-bacteriological shelf coating

Link: News from Bedford and Soar.

Launched less than 12 months ago, Bedfords Quartermaster Active anti-bacteriological shelf coating has now received a Sanitized test certificate confirming its effectiveness against MRSA. The company has always claimed the active coating would eliminate 99% of all surface Bacteria within 24 hours and, with the current concerns relating to the control of MRSA, felt it necessary to confirm that Quartermaster Active did just that with this specific bacterium. The independent laboratory tests by Sanitized substantiate this and indicate a strong reduction with good anti-bacterial effect, which must be good news for all involved with MRSA controls in hygienic environments. The coating's principal element is a silver-based agent captured in a non-organic matrix and is applied only after the shelf has been prepared and phosphated to ensure a good bond onto the metal.

Half of chickens 'infected'

Link: The Sun Online - News

Half of chickens 'infected' FULL NEWS INDEX By PETE BELL Sun Online MORE than half of shop-sold chickens are contaminated with the superbug E.coli, a survey revealed today. Food campaigners called for Government monitoring after a BBC investigation revealed the scale of the problem. The survey was carried out for the broadcasters by the Health Protection Agency. Soil Association policy adviser Richard Young said: "Everyone knows about superbugs like MRSA but the growing problem of drug-resistant E.coli poses a potentially bigger problem because the infection is so much more common." Mr Young said the Government had already carried out studies of antibiotic resistance in pigs, cattle and sheep. He called for similar surveys of chicken, saying: "It is appalling that no similar detailed surveillance has been undertaken for chicken, despite the fact that chicken is the biggest source of foodborne infections in the UK".

Experts examine MRSA pets 'link'

Link: BBC NEWS

Dr Donald Morrison, of the Scottish MRSA Reference Laboratory, said his centre had received reports of pets developing MRSA and was helping the government research the issue. "So far it seems to be a case of the patient passing it on to the pet, but there is no reason why it cannot be passed from pet to pet, and pet to human. "However, it is too early to draw any firm conclusions, we need to look into this further. "What is interesting that all the cases seem to be the hospital strain, which is very good at surviving and spreading. "As for livestock, again it is possible." However, he said it was very unlikely MRSA would be passed on to humans from drinking cows' milk or eating meat.

PM's MRSA test hope

Link: PM's MRSA test hope.

A woman who confronted Tony Blair about hospital infections during the election has received a personally signed letter from him - setting out the government’s plans for tackling the problem. In the letter Mr Blair said he is hoping a two hour test for MRSA may be available by the end of the year. The letter was sent to Ruth Wollacott whose son James, aged 21, has been disabled by MRSA. When she met the Prime Minister in April, she wanted him to look into the lack of proper recording of MRSA cases in hospitals. The letter states: "As I said when we met, tackling MRSA and all healthcare-associated infections is a key priority for the NHS and this Government. It, I promise, remains so."

Newham sees MRSA surge

Link: Recorder 24.

SEVEN positive cases of the sometimes-deadly hospital 'superbug' MRSA have been reported at Newham General Hospital from April to June this year, a report has revealed. Four of them were in April alone. A target of no more than 19 cases for the whole of 2005/06 had been set, so Newham University Hospital Trust was one above the 'planned' figure by the end of June, bosses were told. . The Trust is carrying out a range of measures to wipe out the bug. It has improved and updated its infection control measures and policies and launched a hand-cleaning initiative as part of a national campaign.

Robbery Victim MRSA Nightmare

Link: dailyrecord - MY ENDLESS NIGHTMARE.

BRAVE Ian Colquhoun yesterday told of the nightmare that changed his life forever The 27-year-old woke from a seven week coma after being battered and burned to find his legs and the top of his fingers hadbeenchopped off. And while in hospital, Ian became infected with a rare Asian strain of the MRSA superbug. It led to him being banned from the wards for 16 months and unable to be fitted with artificial limbs. But after all the trauma and heartache, Ian now feels he has turned the corner and is learning to walk again. He said: "It is new lease of life for me and I am full of hope for the future."

Hospital patient 'safer at home'

Link: BBC NEWS

A senior doctor has told an inquest a patient was discharged because she was safer at home than in an NHS hospital, because of the risk of MRSA. Gulnar Qureshi, 44, from Acocks Green, Birmingham, died from blood clots on her lungs after being sent home twice from the city's Heartlands Hospital. Consultant Sherwood Burge said there was a "substantial risk" of MRSA infection at NHS hospitals. He described the city hospital as "not a terribly safe place to be." Giving evidence at Wednesday's hearing in Birmingham the professor added: "It's usually safer at home."

Call for hygiene squads [18aug05]

Link: Herald Sun: Call for hygiene squads [18aug05].

Union state secretary Jeff Jackson said Victorian hospitals could soon face soaring superbug levels, similar to those in Britain where MRSA is suspected of causing 5000 deaths. He said the Government should employ a team of 10 specialists to do spot checks on health workers and hospital equipment. But Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said the Government already employed 200 infection control experts and would not consider hygiene squads. "All our hospitals do have very high standards of cleanliness and they are audited very, very regularly, there are independent audits and internal audits," she said.

Aussie hospital downplays MRSA threat

Link: ballarat.yourguide.

BALLARAT'S two largest health-care providers have dismissed fears of a superbug epidemic, saying infection rates in the city's hospitals are extremely low. Spokespeople from the Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital and St John of God Hospital said cases of MRSA, a strain of golden staph, were extremely rare. Their comments came after it was revealed 123 deaths had been linked to the superbug in Victorian hospitals and 1600 people had been infected. MRSA - methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus - which typically affects the critically ill, is becoming drug resistant and can cause lethal septicemia. Ballarat Health Services executive director of medical services John Ferguson said there were less than five cases of the superbug at the Base Hospital each year. "It's very rare, remembering we treat 25,000 in-patients a year," he said.

Case for Screening Grows

Link: Age and Ageing.

Objectives: to determine the prevalence and characteristics of previously unknown methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers at admission. Subjects: 1,621 elderly patients were screened for MRSA carriage within 24 hours after admission to a geriatric hospital in Geneva, Switzerland. Results: prevalence of MRSA carriage at admission increased from 7.3% (53/724 patients) in 2001 to 8.7% (78/897 patients) in 2003, with a corresponding prevalence of unknown MRSA carriers of 4.6 and 5.8%, respectively. Three variables were independently associated with previously unknown MRSA carriage: recent antibiotic treatment (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.3; 95% CI 1.0–5.1), intra-hospital transfer (aOR 2.5; 95% CI 1.2–5.3), and hospitalization in the past 2 years (aOR 2.7; 95% CI 1.1–6.7). In the validation cohort, the probability of MRSA carriage increased across risk scores: 0 point, 4% prevalence (6/146); 1 point, 15% (21/136); and $2 points, 31% (21/68; P<0.001). The risk score showed good discrimination and calibration in both groups. Conclusions: our risk score, which used a simple additive point system to estimate the likelihood of unknown MRSA carriage, had good accuracy and generalised well in an independent sample of patients. Once validated in a clinical trial, our risk score may be used as a tool to optimise MRSA control.

Opposition wants infection non-reporting explanation. 17/08/2005. ABC News Online

Link: ABC News Online.

The Tasmanian Government is being asked to explain why it has stopped reporting on golden staph and other hospital-acquired infection rates in Tasmanian hospitals. The Liberals' Sue Napier says the Government has not included hospital-acquired infection rates in its most recent Health Department annual reports. A superbug called MRSA, also known as golden staph, has been found in 120 people who died in Victorian public hospitals between June 2004 and May 2005. Ms Napier wants to know why the information was deemed to be of public interest in 2002, but not in subsequent reports. "Well, ever since there was an announcement that there had been a blow-out in the number of MRSA or golden staph cases in Tasmanian hospitals for 2001 and 2002, the Tasmanian Government has failed to include it in their annual reports so the public just doesn't know whether we currently have the kind of problem that is arising in Victorian hospitals or not," she said.

Leeds does MRSA Nursing Home audit

Link: News

EXPERTS are carrying out an investigation into infection rates of the superbug MRSA among patients in nursing homes in Yorkshire. About 500 people in up to 40 nursing homes in the Leeds area are being assessed to see if they have the bug. The work is being carried out to investigate how best to combat the antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is mainly associated with hospitals. Evidence from the United States suggests it is prevalent in nursing homes but no research has been carried out in Britain in the field. MRSA does not normally affect healthy people but those with reduced immunity because of illness or injury are more susceptible. Audit reports carried out in hospitals in Leeds have revealed significant numbers of patients from nursing homes being admitted to wards carrying the bug.

Superbug hits inmates

Link: edmontonsun.com - Canada - Superbug hits inmates.

Inmates at a southern Ontario provincial detention centre were being screened yesterday after an outbreak of a superbug put three people in medical segregation. Health officials were quick to downplay the risk to the public from the antibiotic-resistant bug, which flared up nine years ago in three city hospitals, forcing 30 patients to be segregated and treated. The three inmates at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre were diagnosed with a so-called MRSA infection, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, which is spread through physical contact with an infected person.