MRSA: Not the Only Killer Staph
Posted on December 4, 2007
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The death of a high school outside linebacker in Plano, Texas serves as a stark reminder that the superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is not unique in its ability to quickly take lives. Fifteen-year-old Chad Jeter injured his leg while skateboarding on Thanksgiving and succumbed to a staph infection last week, but it wan’t MRSA that claimed the life of the T.H. Williams High School sophomore.
While the media spotlight has focused on MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant type of staph that killed four children in October, even strains of staph that respond to antibiotics can cause lethal infections. The Collin County epidemiologist told Dallas Morning News reporters that staph can be rapidly fatal even if it isn’t a variety that resists treatment. This is particularly true if the infection is not treated promptly.
County health officials are confident that Jeter did not spread the staph infection to others since he did not have a draining wound or abscess. A letter sent home with Williams High School students assured families that the infection was not related to school activities and that there was no evidence other students had been exposed to the bacteria.
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