symptoms of mrsa

POINT PLEASANT ― School district officials warned Thursday that a Point Pleasant Boro High School student has been diagnosed with a drug-resistant bacterial infection, and urged parents to emphasize good hygiene practices with their children.

An e-mail sent to parents by Superintendent Robert Ciliento said the student, who was not identified, is receiving treatment for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

School will be open today, and Ciliento said in the e-mail that cleaning teams were disinfecting all classrooms, locker rooms, nurses suites and other parts of the school.

"We are confident that these measures are helping to prevent the spread of MRSA, but we want parents to be aware of its symptoms and of the good hygiene practices that families can take to avoid MRSA infections," Ciliento said in the e-mail.

The warning was also posted on the district Web site.

Among the precautionary steps the district recommended were thorough hand-washing, cleaning after athletic workouts and contact with other players, and sanitizing athletic equipment after use. In addition to sanitizing the high school building, district officials said they had taken several steps to prevent further infections, including advising all school nurses of the signs and symptoms of MRSA and asking custodians to target "high-risk areas" with appropriate cleaning techniques.

Approximately 30 to 50 percent of the population carries Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, according to the superintendent's e-mail.

"There are always sporadic cases (of MRSA) in the county," said Jen Sklow, a spokeswoman for the Ocean County Health Department. "They're more common than everyone thinks."

MRSA is an infection caused by a group of bacteria called staphylococcus aureus. There are many different types of staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria are usually found on the skin and are often responsible for pimples and boils.


















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What is MRSA?
This page has information on a type of infection called MRSA. You can scroll down the page to read all the information here or use these links to take you straight to the sections on

What is MRSA?
What's the difference between carrying MRSA and having an infection?
How is MRSA spread?
What are the symptoms of MRSA?
How is MRSA diagnosed?
What is the treatment for MRSA?
Can spread of MRSA be prevented?
What is MRSA?
MRSA is an infection caused by a group of bacteria called staphylococcus aureus. There are many different types of staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria are usually found on the skin and are often responsible for pimples and boils.

MRSA is a particular type or 'strain' of staphylococcus aureus that does not respond (is resistant) to many antibiotics. These antibiotics include methicillin, which is a type of penicillin. So the letters MRSA stand for 'methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus'.

MRSA was first seen in several countries the 1960s. With increasing use of antibiotics, new strains of MRSA have developed over the past 20 years. These new resistant strains can develop because some bacteria may not be destroyed by a course of antibiotics due to having particular characterists that protect them from the antibiotic. These bacteria then grow and divide in the body to produce a strain that is resistant to the antibiotic treatment. If antibiotics are used too often and inapropriately, it becomes more likely that bacteria will adapt to them and become resistant. To try and reduce this resistance the Department of Health have produced guidance to GPs and the public to promote more careful use of antibiotics . And hospitals have their own antibiotic policies which follow national guidance.

What's the difference between carrying MRSA and having an infection?
About a third of people carry MRSA on their skin or in their nose without knowing it. These people are said to be 'carriers' of MRSA. The bacteria are present on the body but don't cause any harm. Doctors also call this being 'colonised' with MRSA. Most people who carry MRSA in this way don't go on to develop an infection.

You get an MRSA infection when the MRSA bacteria get into your body tissues or bloodstream and multiply. They can get in through a break in the skin, such as a wound or drip site, or by travelling up a tube into the bladder (a catheter).

MRSA infections mostly affect people who

Are in hospital for long periods
Have had surgery
Are seriously ill in intensive care.
Have a weak immune system and are at increased risk from infection
How does MRSA spread?
Because staphylococcus aureus bacteria live on the skin they are easily spread by direct skin contact, often on people's hands. MRSA is also spread on bedding, towels, clothing and equipment. This is one reason why strict hygiene measures in hospital are so important.

What are the symptoms of MRSA?
Symptoms of MRSA depend on the part of the body that is infected. They may include

Skin that is red, swollen or tender
Wounds that are slow to heal or become septic
Boils or abscesses in any part of the body
Fever , tiredness and headache in more severe infections
How is MRSA diagnosed?
You will need to have tests or swabs taken from the suspected part of the body to diagnose MRSA. This can be a blood or urine sample, or a swab from a wound or drip site. The samples are sent to the lab to find out what the infection is and which antibiotics it is sensitive to.

Even if you don't have an MRSA infection you may sometimes be tested to see if you carry MRSA. This is called 'screening for MRSA' and might be done on admission to hospital. The screening involves taking a series of swabs from your nose, skin and any wounds or drip sites.

What is the treatment for MRSA?
MRSA infections are still often treatable with antibiotics. But because many standard antibiotics don't work, your doctor will need to prescribe particular types of antibiotics. You'll usually have these antibiotics through a vein in your arm (intravenously). Two antibiotics doctors commonly use to treat MRSA are Vancomycin and Teicoplanin.

If tests show you carry MRSA, you may need treatment to clear the bug from your body. This reduces your risk of getting an MRSA infection and helps limit spread to others. But MRSA can sometimes be difficult to get rid of completely. Treatment is with antibiotic creams for your nose, and special soaps, powders and shampoo for rest of your body.

Can spread of MRSA be prevented?
MRSA is mostly an infection that people get in hospital. As you may have heard in the news the number of reported MRSA infections has increased a lot in recent years. The reason for the rise is due to many things, such as

New strains of MRSA are more powerful
An increased number of very sick people in hospital
Healthcare treatment is more complex � the use of central lines and catheters are much more widespread
Patients move within and between hospitals more often
High workloads which can make staff less able to stick to regular hand washing routines
But hospital staff are working hard to control the spread of MRSA by

Making sure they wash their hands and use cleansing alcohol hand gel between patients
Screening patients for MRSA when or before they are admitted to hospital
Using antibiotics carefully in line with guidelines
Improving cleaning and inspection of wards
Looking after people with MRSA in single rooms until their infection has cleared
Having a policy on how to manage MRSA
If you're in hospital and are worried about getting MRSA there are some measures you can take yourself

Keep your hands and body as clean as possible
Don't share soap or towels
Always wash your hands after using the toilet and before meals
Use wipes after using a bedpan or commode
Make sure your bed area and bedding are cleaned regularly
Don't be afraid to report any poor cleaning to the nurses
Tell the ward sister if you see any staff forget to wash their hands!
Take antibiotics as instructed and always finish the course








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Last updated 04 May 2007

CancerHelp UK is not designed to provide medical advice or professional services and is intended to be for educational use only. The information provided through CancerHelp UK is not a substitute for professional care and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health problem you should consult your doctor.

Copyright Cancer Research UK 2002
Cancer Research UK Charity Number 1089464 Methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were first recognized in 1961, one year after the antibiotic methicillin was introduced for treating S. aureus infections.
MRSA is resistant to (unable to be killed by) all beta-lactam antibiotics. This includes all penicillins (e.g., amoxicillin) and cephalosporins (e.g., keflex).
The first documented MRSA outbreak in the United States occurred at a Boston hospital in 1968. For the next two decades most MRSA infections occurred in persons who had contact with hospitals or other healthcare settings (healthcare-associated MRSA). However, MRSA infections are now seen in previously healthy persons. These persons appear to have acquired their infections in the community (community-associated MRSA), rather than in a healthcare setting.
Transmission
Traditionally, MRSA infections have been associated with hospitalization or other healthcare-associated risk factors, but in recent years physicians and other healthcare providers have observed an increasing number of people with MRSA infections who lack traditional healthcare-associated risk factors. These people appear to have community-associated infections