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StaphAseptic™ News
Staph infections on the rise
February 17, 2010
Petosky News-Review
By Marci Singer News-Review Staff Writer
When 33-year-old James Schillinger noticed a small red bump on his arm, he assumed it was just a spider bite.
Within three days, the bump began to grow and became not only red, but also more painful. It was then, the Petoskey man went to the hospital and found out a spider bite it was not - Schillinger had a methicillin-resistant Staphylocococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. After seven days of antibiotics and daily visits to the hospital for treatment, Schillinger's infection healed.
Consistent with a nationwide increase in methicillin-resistant Staphylocococcus aureus (MRSA), infectious disease specialists are seeing the same pattern locally.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylocococcus aureus is a variation of the germ Staphylococcus aureus that has become resistant to some antibiotics. It usually spreads from person to person through hands or close, skin-to-skin contact. People can also pick the germ up through contact with contaminated objects or surfaces. Drainage from an infected wound can also spread the infection to other parts of the body or to other persons.
"An infection occurs when the germ gets into the body and harms tissues," said Dr. H. Gunner Deery, an infectious disease specialist with Northern Michigan Infectious Diseases in Petoskey. "It is possible to come in contact with MRSA and not become infected because our bodies have barriers to protect us from infections."
While Northern Michigan Regional Hospital does not track the number of people treated for MRSA, Deery said cultures are monitored that are positive for any type of germ coming through the lab from both the community and within the hospital to pick up on trends and detect potential outbreaks.
With respect to "Staph," infections can range from minor skin infections, "pimple-like" red bumps or boils, to serious infections. If the infection involves the skin or wound, the symptoms are redness, heat, swelling and purulent drainage. A person with a more severe infection may have high fever.
"So called 'spider-bites' should be considered to be a MRSA infection until proven otherwise," Deery said.
Deery said up to 90 percent of people have some type of "Staph" on their body at any time and some have MRSA as well, but he added there's no reason for panic.
This is a portion of the original article. To keep reading, visit petoskynews.com
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