Hey guys, remember last year’s amazingly potent bugs that went around and got everybody down? I sure do. My kids puked for days at one point, and I developed a “cold” that ended up being a 10 day spiking fever that made me think I might actually die. Fun stuff, and at the start of another round of winter infections, I suddenly have the urge to go scrub my kitchen and doorhandles.

I was asked to do a blog reminder about the newer, deadlier strain of Staph that is starting to become more widespread.

MRSA or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (there’s a reason some words have acronyms, eh?) is a very scary infection that is extremely resistant to antibiotics. Here is some info direct from their website:

There are two known types of MRSA. You may have heard of Healthcare-Associated (HA-MRSA), which occurs in hospitals and nursing homes, but a newer type of MRSA is Community-Associated (CA-MRSA), which has recently begun to spread in public settings like gyms, locker rooms, households and schools.

People can carry MRSA and not have any symptoms. These “carriers” can also transmit the bacteria to other people. MRSA can be easily spread through skin-to-skin contact and by touching contaminated items. This is why it is crucial to take measures to help reduce the spread of MRSA using these practical steps.

* Scrub up - Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds - the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice - or use an alcohol-based hand rub sanitizer.
* Wipe it down - Use a disinfecting bleach solution to wipe down and disinfect hard surfaces. Make sure to use clean cloths to avoid spreading MRSA from one surface to another. (1 tablespoon of disinfecting bleach diluted in 1 quart of water)
* Cover your cuts - Keep any nicks or wounds covered with a clean, dry bandage until healed.
* Keep to yourself - Do not share personal items, like towels or razors, that come into contact with bare skin.
* Use a barrier - Keep a towel or clothing between skin and shared equipment.

MRSA, like other staph bacteria, can cause a skin infection such as pimples, rashes, abscesses, boils or what can look like a spider bite. These infections are usually warm, painful, red or swollen.

If you think that you or anyone in your family may have a MRSA infection, contact a licensed health care professional, especially if the infection is large, painful, warm to the touch, or does not heal by itself.

In 2005, over 19,000 Americans died of MRSA, and it is so easy to fight the spread if we all just take the time to scrub up and step up our hygiene habits. Be well, be happy!