Globe Health Tours News

Oct 24 2007

Multi-drug Resistant Bacteria Problems Grow

Published by sholto at 7:27 am under Health Policy, NHS

We associate MRSA strongly with hospitals, but studies are beginning to show that MRSA infetions are becoming increasingly community originated, which also means that they are increasingly prevalent in community based settings such as school or community centres which poses a major health risk but also suggests that combatting these bacteria will become more difficult where they can no longer be isolated in hospital settings where higher standards of hygeine can disrupt them.

As has been pointed out: deaths attributed to MRSA in 2005 is higher than for HIV/AIDS in the USA. In effect MRSA is becoming an epidemic and these studies suggesting that MRSA and its cohorts have escaped from health settings to the outside world is ominous for policy makers as well as for joe public

More information:

Klevens RM et al. Invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States. JAMA 2007 Oct 17; 298:1763.

Original article (Subscription may be required)
Medline abstract (Free)

Pichichero ME and Casey JR. Emergence of a multiresistant serotype 19A pneumococcal strain not included in the 7-valent conjugate vaccine as an otopathogen in children. JAMA 2007 Oct 17; 298:1772.