News Brief

The public alarm button got pushed hard last week when a new study showed that drug-resistant staph infections are so widespread, the death toll is higher than AIDS. (See our News Brief on that story here.)

These potentially deadly infections are commonly called MRSAs or methicillin-resistant staph although there are other strains, too. All staph infections are not MRSAs.

Read about MRSA and other staph infections at Medline Plus, the consumer website for the National Institutes of Health.

The Washington Post Health Section (October 23, 2007) tells readers about small steps that reduce their risk of staph infections. That story offers excellent additional references.

The Post story says that initially, people may mistake the start of an MRSA infection with a spider bite. It also says some patients may see lesions “turning black as the infection kills skin cells.” The latter is not a common occurrence.

While this is a serious situation, one which has researchers worried, at this time the vulnerable populations are known.

Simply stated: the very young and the very old.

If it is not MRSA which is making headlines, it is influenza or avian flu. It is important for everyone to know how to prevent infections because communities can stop infections in their tracks with good hygiene.

The best prevention for these—and many others—- is the simplest: a commitment to cleanliness at all times and prompt treatment.