Community-Acquired Pneumonia Caused by Staph More Common Than Thought

Community-acquired pneumonia caused by staph bacteria may occur more frequently than previously thought, according to study results released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study gathered data from three pediatric hospitals in the Atlanta area during the 2006-2007 flu season.
The seven month study identified 53 cases of community-acquired pneumonia, or CAP, [...]

Cholesterol Lowering Drug May Render Staph Bacteria Harmless

In their efforts to develop new treatments for drug-resistant staph infections, scientists have obtained positive results using a cholesterol lowering drug that never made it to market. Researchers believe that cholesterol reducing compounds known as squalene synthase inhibitors may work on staph infections, including methicillin resistant staph, by rendering the bacteria vulnerable to the [...]

MRSA Infection Kills Western Washington University Student Chris Feden

A Western Washington University student succumbed to pneumonia this week after being diagnosed with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. 20-year-old Chris Feden of Tenino, Washington died at St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham after a week long illness that began with flu-like symptoms.
The Western Washington University junior was brought to the school [...]

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. [...]

Maryland Expected to Begin Tracking Hospital-Acquired MRSA Infections

The Maryland Health Care Commission, an independent state regulatory agency, is expected to vote today for the state to consider methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a reportable disease. There is currently no requirement for Maryland state and local health departments to track and record MRSA, the virulent superbug that can develop into a lethal [...]

Pennsylvania School District Involves Parents, Teachers in Fight Against MRSA

When a school in Penns Valley Area School District was notified last week of a student with a methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, District officials quickly mobilized to ensure the safety of all students and employees. A multi-pronged approach included communication with the Pennsylvania Department of Health office in Williamsport, parental notification, [...]

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