Swine Flu Pandemic - MRSA Carriers More Vulnerable to Complications?
Simple staph aureus (SA) bacteria, (mrsa is not a virus), can be found on the bodies of up to 30% of the general population. It caused many problems before the use of antibiotics made wound recovery a safer process. Hospital acquired staph is generally resistant to several antibiotics but especially Methicillin, hence the name MRSA. This is found in about 1% of the population but in some pockets of the population this figure can be much higher.
Image from Komo News
Community Acquired MRSA (CA MRSA) is a different strain of MRSA, mainly causes skin infections and is treatable by more drugs at this time.
CA MRSA (sometimes known as Mersa or Mursa) is more infectious and some strains of it are more destructive - as it becomes resistant to antibiotics it is posing a considerable public health risk through conditions such as MRSA related pneumonia.
Many people carry or are 'colonised' by staph bacteria but only suffer when they have another illness. The colonisation stage carries no symptoms. Many only suffer MRSA as an infection of an existing wound. In recent times however some types of CA MRSA have begun to cause significant skin infections in otherwise healthy patients. The entry point is often a tiny cut, graze or exisiting skin condition.
How do people catch MRSA?
There are several ways it is believed to spread. Read More
How is it treated?
There are 3 key treatment regimes that are commonly used. Read More
How can it be prevented
The media often focus on clean hospitals and clean hands as a key to combating MRSA. Others believe that this will only cut cases by 30% and that a diverse strategy is vital and will include: Read More
