MRSA gone wild., page 1

MRSA gone wild.

This is not the first ATS thread on this subject. You have likely heard of the antibiotic resistant strain of staph infection. This drug-resistant bacteria was once found mainly in isolated close groupings of individuals experiencing "skin contact". These groups included athletic teams, military recruits, hospital patients/personel and prison inmates. This bacteria is now more widespread in the natural world. As you might suspect, anyone with a compromised immune system is more susceptible to the infection.

The latest locations where MRSA has been detected are public beaches near Puget Sound on the west coast of the United States. An ATS thread from October of 2007 reported similar findings as this bacteria has spread across the US and into Canada. The latest reports give no definitive source for the bacteria showing up in the beach samples but hospital contamination of some type is suspected.

MRSA is found in about 5 percent of hospital patients, and accounts for almost two-thirds of skin infections in emergency rooms, up from just 2 percent 35 years ago, according to the Rockville, Maryland-based U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Scientists are studying how the bacteria spread away from hospitals, nursing homes and kidney dialysis centers.

“We were interested in answering where in the community, outside the health care system, could the average American pick this up,” said Marilyn Roberts, the study’s lead author, in a telephone interview. “We found MRSA in a lot more places than we thought we would.” - David Olmos for Bloomberg.com

The entire Olmos report:

Infectious Bacteria Found on Northwest Beaches, Scientists Say

A similar report from USA Today:

MRSA 'superbug' found in ocean, public beaches

Some basic background info, possibly passe at this time:

Understanding MRSA - Web MD

The October 2007 ATS thread:

Community-Associated (CA)-MRSA, antibiotic resistant staph infection

Dangerous staph germs found at West Coast beaches

SAN FRANCISCO — Dangerous staph bacteria have been found in sand and water for the first time at five public beaches along the coast of Washington, and scientists think the state is not the only one with this problem.

The germ is MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — a hard-to-treat bug once rarely seen outside of hospitals but that increasingly is spreading in ordinary community settings such as schools, locker rooms and gyms.

The germ causes nasty skin infections as well as pneumonia and other life-threatening problems. It spreads mostly through human contact. Little is known about environmental sources that also may harbor the germ.

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So now you can't even go to the beach without worrying about carching a life threatening disease.

reply to post by star in a jar

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Thanks for that star! We are our own best physicians.

reply to post by ZeroKnowledge

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There is certainly plenty of media hype media around Zero. These particular reports I think are more just tracking the history and spread of a recent outbreak. The kind of public service that we should expect from our media. A couple "forewarned is fore-armed reports" and hopefully sincere journalism.

Yes, these things are cyclic. One disease comes under control and another jumps up to fill the void or so it seems. Perhaps the prevalent use of modern antibiotics contributes to this type of resistant outbreak. Some suggest we have damaged our natural immunities, becoming "hot house flowers" unable to survive in the natural world.

I'm thinking that people with immune deficiencies would benefit from this knowledge and these reports. I myself have always thought that sea water was a "tonic" if you will for many skin afflictions. What with the dissolved salts and minerals. People at one time flocked to the beaches for the healing power of the sea. That has been true in many cultures. There is some sense in that, our bodies are not far removed from the salt water.

I really don’t know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, think it’s because we all came from the sea… it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean. And therefore we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean, and when we go back to the sea – whether it is to sail or to watch it – we are going back from whence we came. - John F. Kennedy, 1962

President Kennedy was neither scientist nor chemist. He however had an extensive education and had learned much from being close to the sea. These reports show another case where what people always considered a benign and nurturing environment is seemingly no longer as safe as we once thought. I don't appreciate environmental hype but I have little tolerance for careless damage caused to the environment. If hospital waste or effluent of some sort is the cause for this bacteria flourishing it is a real human concern and not simply hype. We all want to continue enjoying the ocean and being safe if we need to be hospitalized.

reply to post by Hemisphere

Thanks for that star! We are our own best physicians.

We indeed are! I remember seeing a news story on MSM about a medical forum where people could discuss their specific medical problems with their peers to find the best treatment options.

They (the sufferers) would submit their issues and of course known medical conditions and their peers would do the same and they would talk about treatments, what they did and how they did it and if possible, get together for treatment or doctor consultations, as I remember it so everyone would have the latest and best info possible.

That as a part of our health care system coupled with group surgeries and consultations will save our system and lower costs on a massive scale, yet have the possibility of covering everybody.

People have got to care, of course, about their health for this to be possible on a mass scale.


[edit on 13-9-2009 by star in a jar]

reply to post by star in a jar

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The internet has been instrumental in allowing people access to these groups. There are many forums now where sufferers of various diseases and symptoms can exchange information. Ailments we never heard of now have forums and support groups thanks in large part to internet access. Of course, look at us here on ATS. You have made hard decisions and taken responsibility for your health. I can't imagine it's fun being on a restricted diet and being constantly aware of what's on every label. I know there's constant conscious effort on your part. Most people are now more aware of what they ingest but you are on a heightened level.

Star you go on to mention a particularly important point and that is people have got to care about their health. The truth is not everyone does. At least not to the same level. We've all seen thrill seekers destroy themselves and be saved by EMS and skilled doctors. The X-Games participants come immediately to mind. These are well funded entertainers. The kid who duplicates their stunts on the playground is not necessarily corporate backed. "Look mom, no hands! Ouch!" And so the thrill ride was a priority like smoking, drinking, over-eating, too much sun and the list goes on and on.

How do we prioritize for others? We can't make them care. And each one of us has his own blind spots. And so the doctor's visit is passed over and the money goes elsewhere. How many truly can't afford an office visit when push comes to shove? How many doctors will not accept partial payments over time? I think the answer to both questions is precious few. There's a huge divide in the cost of a couple of doctor's visits per year and having full-blown health insurance. The difference of a couple hundred dollars as opposed to 7 to 10 thousand. Also, how many times do we see it when people suffering from catastrophic health issues have groups raise funds for them, individuals donate to them as well as hospitals and doctors stepping up and treating them for free? We are not the uncaring society we are advertised to be.

I think basic health care is within reach for more people than we have been led to believe. I think it's a choice in the realm of having a salad verses a burger. I find neither intrinsically bad, just choices and either can be good or bad depending on the needs of the individual eating them. Of course with personal choice and freedom comes personal responsibility. If you care about your health you take responsibility for it. You make the hard decisions, you pass up immediate gratification for long term health. Some would rather "the system" be responsible for them. Some have come to rely on "the system".

Sorry to get off on that tangent. Health care seems to be just under the surface of my thoughts as of late. I'm certainly not alone. Thanks again for your posts to the MRSA thread thus far and I look forward to others.

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