New Superbug May Surpass AIDS' Infection Rate

Infections can come about at any time, and as a society, we get over 90,000 potentially deadly infections a year. These infections usually stem from a staph super bug that is drug-resistant. These super bugs are spreading at an alarming rate, and one expert says there is one strain of this super bug that has killed more people than the world-wide killer AIDS (www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/10/16/mrsa.cdc.ap/index.html). If that information isn't scary enough, imagine our hospitals exhausting their resources to treat these dangerous strains of bugs. Here are some critical tips to know, considering many of us are not aware of simple things that we can do to prevent the spread of these infections.

The most severe strain of staph bacteria is called, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA and doctors and medical officials are constantly trying to contain and eliminate the growing threat of MRSA.

Presently, there have been 32 cases of these infections per 100,000 people. Now multiply that by the population of the United States, well over 301 million, and you get an alarming rate of people who are becoming infected. When infection sets in, there is a powerful chance of the infection spreading, especially in highly populated areas like Washington D.C. and New York City. The spread of infections has become so prevalent that it expands beyond our hospitals and schools, it is also occurring in our prisons and even worse, our gyms and locker rooms! Not only are these infections infecting our bloodstream, it can also mutate into a flesh eating bacteria. Now not only do we have to worry about our locker rooms and gyms, we should also think about using any other public facility, especially our public bathrooms. A survey conducted earlier this year suggests that 46 out of every 1000 hospital and nursing home patients are infected with these infections, though some of these people are infected with the mild strain of the staph bug. So how can we protect ourselves from a bug that our hospitals and medical professionals are so concerned about? Here's some information that may surprise you and perhaps even save your life. Additionally, there is a difference between prevalent staph infections and MRSA. MRSA, itself is drug resistant whereas typical staph infections can be treated. The information below can help prevent both types of infections.

Sneezing: Sneezing is the body's natural way of getting rid of harmful substances from the body. However, did you know that as you sneeze you are expelling nasty particles that travel up to 100 miles per hour and can linger in the air for about 30 minutes? You not only sneeze through your nose and expel mucous droplets; you expel material through your mouth as well. Stimulants, such as allergens or pepper, make us sneeze. So how do you contain your germs and prevent infection from others? If at all possible avoid situations where there are multiple people in a small space. Unfortunately doctors' offices cram many patients in a small space. I do not feel bad at all about pacing the hallway until my name is called to go into a cubicle. Also, when you feel that you have to sneeze, do not use your hands, rather sneeze in the crook of your elbow. Hands are among the leading retainers of germs, especially if you forget to wash your hands. If someone sneezes near you and does not cover their mouth and nose, move away from the vicinity if at all possible. Coughing falls in this category too. Cover your mouth when coughing and wash hands whenever possible.

Skin lacerations: Cover your skin break with a bandage so staph bacteria cannot introduce its way into your skin. Also, if you have a wound that is open, be sure to wash it often with soap, water, and use hydrogen peroxide.

Playing contact sports? Then be sure to thoroughly wash the areas of your body that have been in contact with your other teammates or those of the opposite team. Wear shower shoes at all times in the locker room, and this goes for all of us who use gym showers or spas too. You just never know if someone has a cut on their body that has already been infected, better to be safe than deathly sorry. Dr. Julie Gerberding, our Center for Disease Control Director, says that many of us have staph infections that don't need medical attention. We need to be proactive and clean our cuts, scrapes, or wounds. If you see a skin infection where the surrounding area is swelling dramatically and is accompanied by a fever then see a doctor. Otherwise, Dr. Gerberding says many of our infections we get can be cured by a common sense approach.

Sharing personal items: Do not share personal items, like towels or razors, even with friends. You naturally want to help a friend out if they forgot their towel at the gym, but please do not do this. You are opening up your risk for getting infection. If you know you have been in contact with someone who has any kind of infection, wash your clothes in hot water and be sure to dry them thoroughly.

Educate yourself: Know a little about MRSA: MRSA is often transported from human to human contact and through bodily fluids that are entered through the air we breathe (i.e. coughing or sneezing). The major combatant we have against MRSA is our commons sense. We hear all the time to wash our hands, yet some of us don't do that. We need to be more hygienic and take a common sense approach to preserve our health.

So should we panic? No according to Dr. Gerberding. Dr. Gerberding says that many of these infections are the same that mothers have been dealing with decades and that many problems can be preventable.

CNN this morning reported on a Virginia high school student, whose death was caused from a drug-resistant staph infection and had a serious strain of MRSA. However, Dr. Gerberding insisted that the student's death was not representative of the MRSA cases out to date. So how can we know our hospitals are doing all they can to prevent the spread of MRSA? Dr. Gerberding, in an interview with CNN, said that the CDC is working with hospitals across the nation and urging them to know their infection rates and take steps to prevent these infections in hospital patients so patients don't affect community after they are released. Do not be afraid to ask your doctor or nurse to wash their hands or ask if they have washed their hands!

I do not think panic is in order; just awareness needs to be in place. Our common sense can literally save our lives and others' lives.