Infection - Superbugs
Fears over “superbugs” have closed schools and worried parents throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. These “superbugs” are a strain of staph bacterium that have become resistant to antibiotics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they are responsible for more than 94,000 serious infections and nearly 19,000 deaths each year.
The official name for these staph infections is MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). They occur most frequently among people in hospitals and healthcare facilities who have weakened immune systems. These healthcare-associated staph infections include surgical wound infections, urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia.
Staph and MRSA can also cause illness in people outside of healthcare facilities. Staph or MRSA infections in the community usually appear as skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people. These infections can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. More serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or surgical wound infections.
Factors that have been associated with the spread of MRSA skin infections include: close skin-to-skin contact, openings in the skin such as cuts or abrasions, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions, and poor hygiene.
To prevent these infections:
- Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
- Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.
- Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.
For more information, please see the CDC’s MRSA page.
For an excellent article from The Philadelphia Inquirer detailing area school closings, click here.
Click here for a printable brochure on preventing the spread of MRSA infections from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.