News Brief

Today’s Los Angeles Times reports that “[the] number of severe infections caused by a ’superbug,’ known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is at least twice as high as researchers previously believed, and the bacterium now kills more Americans than AIDS, researchers reported today.

The study reported that nearly 14% of new antibiotic-resistant staph infections are not linked to hospitals or other medical facilities, indicating that the disease has become ingrained in parts of the wider community.

“The antibiotic-resistant infections, commonly called MRSA, were once confined to a few hospitals, but a new study by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2005 they made an estimated 94,000 Americans seriously ill and killed almost 19,000, compared with 17,000 who died of AIDS.

“The infections have been a growing concern, particularly over the last decade, as they have spread outside hospitals, popping up in prisons, athletic fields and locker rooms.

“The study reported that nearly 14% of new antibiotic-resistant staph infections are not linked to hospitals or other medical facilities, indicating that the disease has become ingrained in parts of the wider community.”

The finding was reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Prompt treatment with the right antiobiotics is recommended. Physicians who want the most current information on the most effective antibiotics can get it from their state health departments or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you have any reason to suspect that you or someone else may have acquired such an infection, get medical attention immediately.