What Is the Staph Superbug?
The Staph superbug is a strain of the common skin and nose bacteria Staphylococcus aureus that has evolved to be highly resistant to the most common types of antibiotics, such as penicillin, amoxicillin or methicillin. The full medical name is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.
In the past, MRSA infections were usually contracted in hospitals and other medical facilities. Hand contact by health care workers can spread the bacteria from patient to patient, resulting in blood stream infections, pneumonia or surgical site infections. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Staph superbug infections in hospitals have declined significantly in recent years, thanks to better hygiene and disinfectant practices, but remain a serious threat.
More recently, a growing concern stems from the fact that the infection is becoming widespread in schools, daycare centers, prisons, and other community-based places.
Symptoms of MRSA infection first appear on the skin through small red bumps resembling boils or pimples. Then, these red bumps will develop into abscesses that painfully swell with pus. Patients will feel a warm sensation around the area infected with MRSA. To treat this, doctors will need to drain the abscesses and the wound will be covered until it is completely healed to prevent the bacteria from infecting other people.
From the skin, the MRSA can travel into the body and infect the bloodstream, bones, joints, lungs, and heart valves. Once this takes place, symptoms of internal infection will include chest pain, headache, fever, muscle aches, chills, fatigue, cough, and low blood pressure,
Part of what makes the Staph superbug so dangerous, in addition to these symptoms, is that people can carry an MRSA infection without even knowing it. This superbug can actually live in one’s nose or skin without affecting you in any way. The bacteria is passed from one individual to another through contact, and will only cause adverse effects when it reaches the inside of the body through a wound or any opening in the skin.
In the past, antibiotics such as penicillin could successfully fight off the germ, but over the years, the overuse of the drugs along with the bacteria’s growing resistance to treatment has allowed the evolution of a potentially deadly superbug. The best way to avoid having to deal with the superbug is to engage in prevention.
One effective way to prevent the spread of the Staph superbug is to practice good hygiene. Regular hand washing is very important. It is ideal to vigorously wash hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. Keeping a handy alcohol based sanitizer with you is useful as well. The hand sanitizer should be 60-95% alcohol. In addition, any cuts or wounds in the skin should be covered until they are completely healed. Bandages should be immediately thrown in the trash. Finally, avoid sharing personal items like towels and razors.
If you are exhibiting symptoms of MRSA infection, immediately consult with a doctor for treatment. It is also important to get regularly checked because the infection can recur after treatment.