Link: News - SilvertonAppeal.com
Staph infections have become so widespread in the athletic arena that many competitors shake off the bug like the common cold.
But in the last two years doctors and coaches alike have been taking extra precautions against a more resistant, increasingly more prevalent staphylococcus bacteria that can have grave consequences if not taken care of promptly.
Last month Salem Hospital infectious disease specialist Dr. Clifton Bong spoke at Santiam Memorial Hospital in Stayton to discuss Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, a bacteria that is making a name for itself on the national stage as it becomes more rampant – and at times destructive.
“It’s a big problem,” Bong said. “It’s not just here, but all over. The numbers have been increasing.”
These types of antibiotic-resistant infections are commonly seen in healthcare settings, where antibiotics are misused or there is improper sanitation.
But Bong said an increasing number of MRSA infections are being reported in people without links to hospitals, including athletes, construction workers, men and women in the military, prisons and daycares.
The number of actual MRSA infections in Oregon is unknown, but the Oregon Department of Human Services recently began surveying invasive MRSA in the Portland area. Preliminary data from 2004 indicates the rate of invasive MRSA in that area is approximately 26.3 infections per a population of 100,000 people, per year.
The infections are, however, becoming more pervasive and doctors suspect the number could be higher.