Study notes 90 percent increase in MRSA cases

PRINCETON, NJ — A recent study by the Princeton Environmental Institute, in connection with the ecology and evolutionary biology department at Princeton University, reports that the number of cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections has increased by more than 90 percent over the last decade, according to the Daily Princetonian.
The study, which focused on the spread of MRSA infections from 1999 through 2005, found that as many as 17,280 people infected with MRSA died in 2005, more than the number of people who died of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the same year, the story stated.
Researchers found that the percentage of hospital outpatients who reported community-associated MRSA infections had jumped drastically from about 10 percent to roughly 50 percent between 1999 and 2005, the story noted.
Eili Klein, co-author of the study that was published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, said: "Every time somebody uses an antibiotic, that reduces the number of times the antibiotic can ever be used because it's going to create resistance."
According to the story, hospital-associated MRSA infections have been more common than community-associated MRSA infections, prompting the need for more extensive and effective cleaning regimens in health care facilities.
Klein, along with the other co-author, Ramanan Laxminarayan, stress that MRSA should be "considered a national priority for disease control," the story added.
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Mold and MRSA close courtrooms

LOUISVILLE, KY — Two Jefferson County courtrooms were closed in as many weeks due to mold contamination and the presence of infectious bacteria, according to the Courier-Journal.

Courtrooms 302 and 310 in the Hall of Justice were closed following two incidents where prosecutors contracted methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the story stated.

According to the story, there was food residue leaking down a wall and food stains in the carpet, and although many courthouse workers have fallen ill in recent years, no correlations between indoor environment quality and employee health were drawn until now.

Jefferson District Judge Sean Delahanty said: "We need to do a better job disinfecting the building."

Courtroom 302 was reopened late last week after city maintenance workers cleaned the area, removed mold contamination and shampooed the carpets, the story noted.

Courtroom 310 will remain closed during the remediation process because of what officials are calling "an unacceptable smell," the story added.

MRSA has schools on alert

SUNBURY, PA - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than one in ten cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) involve people who acquired the potentially deadly infection in a community setting, such as a school, according to The Daily Item.

Schools are particularly at risk because athletic programs and locker rooms can provide the staph bacteria with fertile breeding grounds and a means of cross contamination, the article stated.

During one school board meeting in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, MRSA issues were raised by a parent and school officials said, “After a spate of MRSA cases in 2008, the district beefed up its preventative measures in an effort to keep the problem in check,” reported the article.

In Milton schools, which have not had reported outbreaks, Rod Harris, who is the athletic director, added, “We’ve increased the frequency of maintenance staff wiping down handrails, door knobs and other areas frequently touched by many people. These are all being wiped down twice a day now.”

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Middle school has confirmed case of MRSA

KETTERING, OH — A confirmed case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a potentially dangerous type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics and may cause skin and other infections, has surfaced at Kettering Middle School, according to the Dayton Daily News.

Kettering Principal Doug Cozad, upon learning of the case, alerted parents and guardians via telephone and sent home a letter explaining the causes and effects of MRSA and offered tips to keep students and the larger community safe and healthy, the story stated.

It remains unknown how the school learned of the infection, who was sickened by it and in what condition that individual is in, the story noted.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people can get MRSA through direct contact with an infected person or by sharing personal items, such as towels or razors that have touched infected skin.

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Confirmed MRSA case in Higley High School

GILBERT, AZ — A student athlete at Higley High School recently came down with a confirmed case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a contagious, antibiotic-resistant skin infection, according to KUPT-TV.
The student was hospitalized for treatment and has not practiced with the team since the infection was identified, the story stated.
A letter was sent home to parents and guardians of Higley students notifying them of the situation and offering tips to ensure the safety and well-being of themselves as well as the students, the story noted.
According to the story, the district has taken all the necessary precautions as outlined by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), including cleaning the Higley High School locker rooms, weight room, restrooms, classrooms, door handles and cafeteria areas with a cleaning solution recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC strongly recommends thorough and frequent hand washing, covering of wounds, washing of athletic clothing every day and insists that students do not share clothing articles, towels, razors, personal items, etc., the story added.
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Study: One in four carry MRSA in nursing homes

BELFAST, Ireland — A recent study by Queen’s University Belfast and Antrim Area Hospital has found that one in four residents in nursing homes carry methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria, according to Infection Control Today.

The findings, which have been published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, highlight the need to increase infection control strategies in nursing homes and other health care facilities, the story stated.

For the study, swabs from 1,111 residents and 553 staff in 45 nursing homes in the United Kingdom were taken and studied, the story noted.

According to the study, 24 percent of residents and 7 percent of staff were found to be colonized with MRSA, meaning they were carrying the bacteria but not showing signs of infection or illness.

Dr. Paddy Kearney, a consultant medical microbiologist with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, said: "We decided to carry out the study after noticing an apparent increase in recent years in the number of patients who had MRSA when they were admitted to hospital from nursing homes. In hospitals, routine checks are carried out to identify those most at risk of MRSA colonization (carrying it on their skin and/or nose) and infection control policies are put in place but this is not always feasible in private nursing homes."

To combat this potential problem, educating both patients and staff about MRSA and increasing cleaning frequency and efficiency is crucial, the story added.

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Study: Tea tree oil to treat MRSA

WASHINGTON — Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), long used to treat acne and minor skin irritations, may soon be used to treat something more severe — Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to the Examiner.

A study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy that was conducted at the Department of Microbiology at the University of Western Australia found that Melaleuca alternifolia successfully treated all 66 test cases of Staphylococcus aureus bacterium, 64 of which were Methicillin resistant, the story stated.

According to the study, tea tree oil may be even more effective against the spread of MRSA than some of the drugs commonly used to combat the bacteria.

Similar studies show Melaleuca alternifolia can also successfully prevent the spread and growth of highly resistant fungi and yeast, the story noted.

Tea tree is a powerful volatile oil, passing through the cell membrane quickly and easily and therefore should never be ingested internally; proper ventilation may be required when applying topically and special care and dosing instructions should be followed when using it to treat children as their systems are more sensitive to the effects of the active ingredient, terpinen, the story added.

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Promising new treatment for MRSA

NEW YORK — A new drug-delivery system with an anti-microbial agent has been developed to treat Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and is showing promising results in mice, according to the United Press International.

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University infected mice with MRSA and administered treatment with the drug delivery system that uses biocompatible nanoparticles that are smaller than a grain of pollen to produce controlled and sustained amounts of nitrous oxide gas, the story stated.

According to the story, nitrous oxide, which is produced by many cells throughout the body, has several important biological functions, including killing bacteria, but its therapeutic potential has been difficult to harness.

The wounds of mice treated topically with nitrous oxide-containing nanoparticles improved significantly and had lower bacterial counts when compared to the control mice that received nitrous oxide-void nanoparticles or no treatment, the story noted.

Dr. Joel Friedman of Albert Einstein said: "The problem is that nitric oxide is very short-lived and, until now, methods to deliver it to targeted tissues in the proper dosages have proven elusive."

The results of the study were published online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, the story added.

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