Staph Infection Drawing Attention ; Health Professionals Use Recent Headlines to Raise Awareness of

Oct 25, 03:23 PM

Current Headlines: By ANN S. KIM Staff Writer --

Health professionals in Maine are trying to raise awareness about a type of staph infection as concern about the drug-resistant "superbug" swells.

Methicillin-resistant staph aureus, or MRSA, has been making headlines nationally in recent days. A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that MRSA was responsible for more than 94,000 life-threatening infections and nearly 19,000 deaths in the United States in 2005. The report's release came a day after a teenager in Virginia died from a MRSA infection that had spread to vital organs.

Since then, there have been reports of other cases of MRSA and scrubdowns - and sometimes shutdowns - of schools. In Maine, schools in Greenville, northwest of Bangor, closed Friday for a thorough disinfecting in response to a case in the community.

MRSA, pronounced "mersa," is resistant to the antibiotics normally used to treat staph infections, but can be treated with different types of drugs.

The bacteria is commonly found on the skin or in the nose, and can be spread by contact or though shared use of items such as exercise equipment, towels or razors.

The bacteria can cause an infection - usually on the skin, but sometimes in a very serious form that gets into the bloodstream, the lungs or other organs.

Over the past several years, health professionals have seen an increase in "community-associated" MRSA: cases that occur outside of health-care settings. The CDC report estimated that 85 percent of serious, or invasive, MRSA was associated with settings such as hospitals or long-term care facilities.

But the frequent appearance of MRSA in the news recently doesn't mean the risk has increased, according to Dr. Dora Anne Mills, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Not much has changed, other than there's more attention to it," she said.

Mills said good hygiene is the main thing to keep in mind.

Cuts and scrapes should be covered with dry, clean bandages, and skin problems such as boils, acne or abscesses should be evaluated by a doctor if they don't improve over a couple of days. Washing one's hands and maintaining good housekeeping habits also are important.

Dr. August Valenti, the head of Maine Medical Center's department of epidemiology and infection prevention, said he's glad for the opportunity to raise consciousness about MRSA and educate people about prevention. But he agreed that the risk has not changed, he said.

"Infectious disease specialists, we aren't any more concerned about this than we were five years ago," he said.

Nancy Dube, a school nursing consultant with the Maine Department of Education, has received a handful of calls about MRSA in recent days. She said a memo and fact sheets were sent to school nurses around the state last week.

"It's one of those teachable moments," Dube said.

State officials do not recommend restrictions for students or staff members with MRSA unless drainage from a wound cannot be contained. The decision to close schools in Greenville was made locally.

Portland schools are making sure that nurses look carefully at any skin conditions and reiterate procedures already in place for cleaning athletic areas and equipment, said Amanda Rowe, the district's nursing coordinator.

The number of MRSA cases in Maine is hard to pinpoint because hospitals are not required to report them to the state. A report on community-associated MRSA from February 2004 to August 2005 found an annual average of 111 cases.

Staff Writer Ann S. Kim can be contacted at 791-6383 or at:

akim@pressherald.com

[Sidebar]

STOPPING STAPH

Tips for reducing transmission of MRSA:

n Cover wounds with clean, dry bandages.

n Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water.

n Use disinfectant effective against Staphylococcus aureus.

n Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, razors and clothing.

n Tell your health care provider if you have had contact with someone with MRSA.

n Avoid contact sports and skin-to-skin contact until your infection has healed.

Source: Maine Center for Disease Control

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