Media Fear or Awareness??

In a recent Courier Journal article, the media is heightening awareness of the bacteria referred to as the “super bug”. 14 school-related staph cases found

The bacteria is MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus). This is not a new bacteria and we have known about it for years. We are beginning to see it more frequently, but it is still not at an epidemic proportion or something that should instill unwarranted fear.

There are actually two strains. One is community acquired strain and it still responds to several common antibiotics and the second strain is considered hospital acquired and it is much more difficult to treat because of its resistance to most oral antibiotics. We still have IV antibiotics which treat it effectively in most cases.

The mainstays of treatment for individuals and school aged children are good hand washing and bandaging any open wounds.

The most relevant comment from the article came from Dr. Christopher Belcher, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent in Indianapolis who said "There's really not much new, this has been a problem that's been increasing in prevalence over the last seven to 10 years, and what's new here is the public awareness of it."