Disinfecting Schools May Not Curb the Spread of MRSA
Schools across the country have taken steps to disinfect common areas after learning of local staph cases, but sanitizing academic facilities is not likely to help prevent outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant staph, according to Virginia’s state epidemiologist. Dr. Carl Armstong told reporters that although heightened concern about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is understandable, “emphasis on [...]
New York Student Omar Rivera, 12, is Fourth American Child this Month to Die from Lethal Superbug MRSA
The death of a 12-year-old middle school student in New York on October 14, 2007 is being attributed to the superbug known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Omar Rivera was a seventh grade student at Intermediate School 211 in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn. New York City health officials said they had [...]
Geologists Suggest Dirt as Treatment for MRSA and Other Superbugs
Wash your hands and practice good hygiene. Avoid getting wounds dirty. That’s the usual medical advice on how to avoid staph infections. But new research suggests that treating wounds with a particular type of French clay creates a toxic environment for superbugs like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the flesh-eating bacteria Mycobacterium [...]
Fate of $5 Million for Staph Research and Monitoring to be Decided Soon
An additional $5 million for staph research and outbreak tracking could be available to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 2008. On Tuesday the senate overwhelmingly approved an appropriations bill with an amendment earmarking $5 million for research into methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
New York’s senior senator Charles Schumer decided [...]
Florida Man Fired Over MRSA Infection
Two years ago, Morris Yomtov contracted a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection while clearing hurricane debris from his Florida yard. This week, he’s out of a job.
Yomtov was chatting with coworkers and mentioned that he acquired an antibiotic-resistant strain of staph when he scraped his arms two years ago, he told Miami’s CBS 4. [...]
More Than a Dozen Cases of MRSA in New Jersey Schools This Month; State Still Has No Mandated Reporting
Note: Periodic updates will be added to the bottom of this article.
Last updated, December 7, 2007.
Parents and school officials in New Jersey are growing increasingly concerned at what appears to be an upswing in cases of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Although the state of New Jersey keeps no comprehensive statistical data on community-acquired [...]
Virginia MRSA Infections to Be Tracked From Now On
Residents of Virginia and people around the nation are newly aware of the dangers of staph infections following the October 15th death of an otherwise healthy student at Staunton River High School in Moneta, Virginia. Since 17-year-old Ashton Bonds died due to complications from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), citizens and government officials have been [...]
Connecticut Officials Respond to Community Acquired MRSA Cases in Nine Towns
Connecticut cases of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA) ballooned 177% during a 6 year period, according to Department of Public Health statistics released by the state. The skyrocketing community-acquired infection rate far outpaced the 1.6% increase in hospital-acquired MRSA infections during the same period. Community-acquired MRSA is an antibiotic-resistant staph infection contracted in [...]
Researchers Look to Honey in Fight Against Methicillin-Resistant Staph Infections
Honey may be key in the battle against superbugs like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to recent reports in Wired, The Washington Post, and Nature. The healing properties of honey were recognized by the ancient Sumerians, and honey remained a common antimicrobial therapy until the 1950s when penicillin was introduced.
Dressings made from honey are [...]
Tennessee Kindergartener with MRSA Remains in Critical Condition
A MRSA-related illness following a minor knee scrape has kept five-year-old Julia’nna Clemmons of Tennessee in critical condition for more than a week. The methicillin-resistant staph infection damaged her internal organs before the antibiotics began to work, reported WKRN Nashville. Her care has included dialysis, ventilator and plasma exchange.
Julia’nna Clemmons is a kindergarten [...]