Bacteria Attacking Our Children

This is not a research article although I have researched this topic for many years. I have communicated with the Center for Disease Control, physicians, and microbiologists. This is article is about my views on MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) and how it has affected my family.

MRSA can affect many areas of the body. It can spread through the bloodstream infecting major organs such as the heart and the lungs. Left untreated it can have a deadly consequence. It commonly affects the skin by producing boils or abscesses. Inside the boils or abscesses is thick pus that is full of infectious bacteria. It has a creamy white color with tints of blood. The outside is hard, raised, and has a head similar to that of a pimple. It is red on the outside and painful. They are caused by any opening in the skin, such as a cut, splinter, or bug bite.

MRSA was once considered to be caused by spider bites and although medical professionals have ruled spider bites as the solitary cause. I believe they still may be a large part of the cause. There are many states in the U.S that have large epidemic of MRSA and many of those states also harbor the Hobo and Brown Recluse spiders. These types of spiders are aggressive and tend to bite humans. The Brown Recluse Spiders are considered dangerous due to the venom they carry and causes damage to the human skin. The Hobo spider resembles a Brown Recluse but does not carry the same venom. When either spider bites it leaves large holes in the skin that make it easier for MRSA bacteria to enter and infect.

MRSA started in hospitals and prisons. It was known as hospital- acquired. The patients and inmates where vulnerable to the infection because of weaken immune systems and sanitary conditions. Now, MRSA has become a large community problem. It is attacking the schools where our children attend, public bathrooms, and playgrounds.

My three boys have all been infected with MRSA. They have had boils on the bottom, on the leg, and on a finger. They have also had MRSA in the ears. MRSA is thought to be hosted in the nose, where bacteria can easily survive because it is moist and dark. The idea is that most children pick their nose and scratch themselves and infect their scratch with the bacteria. This can be the case but not always. MRSA in the ears causes ear infections. Ear infections resulting from MRSA are not treated with your average antibiotics like Amoxicillin and Zithromax. They need to be treated with Sulfatrim or Septra, a stronger antibiotic that can target this specific bacterium. An ear infection that results in pus coming from the ear canal needs to have lab work done on it through a physician's office to rule out MRSA. It can only be confirmed through lab tests not just symptoms and similarities.

Ways to prevent MRSA from infecting your home and your children is by practicing regular hand washing. Other methods are:

1. Washing linens and clothing regularly.

2. Keeping the bathrooms clean.

3. Using toilet protectors in public bathrooms.

To prevent the spread if infected keep the wound clean and covered. It is the pus inside the boil or abscess that is infectious. To alleviate pain associated take warm baths or use a warm wash cloth to soften the pus inside. If it opens up and pus does come out, use gloves. Although washing hands helps tremendously, using gloves will prevent spreading the bacteria and keep the open wound clean by not introducing it to more bacteria.