Staph Contamination Prompts Cheese Recall

High levels of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria have been discovered in cheese from Grassy Meadows dairy of Howe, Indiana during routine inspections. Consumers in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio are being advised by Indiana state officials to avoid consumption of Grassy Meadows cheese purchased before Wednesday, January 30, 2008.
The contaminated cheeses were made from raw milk, [...]

Researchers Expect Virulent New MRSA Strains to Emerge

Researchers studying community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also called CA-MRSA, have traced its genetic origins to a single bacterial strain, and expect new forms of the extraordinarily resilient bacteria to evolve.
Comparative genome sequencing methods were used by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) scientists to study the evolution of the USA300 group of CA-MRSA [...]

Staph Strain More Virulent Than MRSA Infecting Gay Men

As schools, prisons, and hospitals around the country struggle to prevent the spread of the superbug known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a virulent newer strain is making inroads into gay communities in San Francisco, Boston, New York, and Los Angeles.
More drug-resistant than the MRSA seen in schools and gyms, infections caused by this [...]

MRSA Blamed for Death of Pennsylvania Youth Caseworker

An Erie County, Pennsylvania woman diagnosed with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) died Thursday morning. Cheri Lyons, 32, was admitted to Millcreek Community Hospital eight days earlier, and learned Saturday that she had the virulent staph infection.
Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook told the Erie Times-News that hospital administrators believed Cheri Lyons succumbed to cancer, and [...]

Light Therapy Brightens Future of MRSA Treatment

Overuse of antibiotics is contributing to the increased prevalence of drug-resistant superbugs. But what if medical professionals didn’t have to rely on antibiotics to treat virulent bacterial infections?
Light therapy may be the answer.
Current research in the area of photomedicine is poised to have a huge impact on how doctors respond to serious drug-resistant staph [...]

Rapid MRSA Test Now Available in the U.S.

American medical professionals now have a new weapon in their anti-Staph arsenal. Last week the Food and Drug Administration approved a blood test that can detect the superbug known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, in under two hours.
The new test, manufactured by BD diagnostics, identified 100 percent of MRSA-positive specimens in clinical trials. [...]