MRSA is an active infection of a bacteria named Staphylococcus aureus, which is found on just about every person living right now. That’s because it tends to live on the skin, where it is usually harmless. Once this bacteria is able to enter the human body, however, it can become very dangerous. Many bacteria can be treated with antibiotics, but not MRSA. That’s because drugs like penicillin and methicillin no longer have an effect on it.
MRSA hospitalized over 100,000 people every year and many of these infections occur in healthcare settings. About 10% of the people who obtain an active MRSA infection will eventually succumb to it. Here are some interesting facts about MRSA of which to be aware so that you can understand more about this serious disease.
1. You Can’t Get It By Sneezing
Although the bacteria that cause MRSA like to live in the nose, people can’t get it just from a sneeze. It requires direct contact from person to person and must be able to enter the human body in some way. These bacteria might prefer to live in places like urine or blood, but the bacteria can stay active on an object within an infected person’s environment. It can live for several days on healthcare equipment, personal items, sheets, and clothing. Someone with an open wound handling the linens of someone with an active MRSA infection may be able to become infected themselves.
2. Anyone Can Get the Bacteria
Although the elderly or those that practice poor personal hygiene tend to have the most risk of developing an MRSA infection, anyone can pick up the bacteria to develop the disease. Anyone with a compromised immune system or people who work with items or objects that are constantly exposed to the internal mechanisms of the body are at risk. That’s why caregivers who handle items like catheters or chest tubes need to practice good universal protections.
3. The Easiest Way to Stop the Spread of MRSA is to Wash Your Hands Regularly
All it takes to stop the spread of MRSA is to watch your hands with soap and water. In an emergency, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer may also work, but that action should always be followed up with hand washing as soon as possible. If you suspect MRSA could be within your environment, it is also necessary to keep cuts, lesions, or other breaks in the skin completely covered at all times.
4. There Are 2% of the Human Population That Has a Colony of MRSA Living on Them Right Now
Staph infections are the most common type of infection that occur, especially in the United States, and they can cause pneumonia if left untreated. About 30% of the population has active staph bacteria on them at any given time, which is why it is important to not share towels with people. They have active bacteria through a colony, not an infection, so the bacteria is present without any symptoms or health concerns. 2 out of every 100 people have MRSA colonies somewhere on their bodies.
5. It’s An Ongoing Problem Without a Good Solution Right Now
Over the last decade, the rates of MRSA infections have doubled in many demographics. The number of children who are infected by community acquired MRSA are especially at risk and those who receive procedures in a hospital setting may also be exposed to MRSA. Some studies seem to contradict this information, however, as one 2010 study in the AMA journal showed a 28% decline in MRSA cases that were hospital related.
6. It Really Is Incredibly Easy to Stop MRSA Proactively
In another study that looked at how MRSA could be prevented before it could become problematic, a 40% reduction in ICU MRSA cases could be achieved just by having germ-killing ointments and soaps available for use to nursing staff. The same results could be achieved with basic staph infections as well.
7. This Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Is Treated With Antibiotics
The problem with MRSA is that it is immune to specific types of antibiotics, but not all antibiotics. This is why early detection is such a key component of being able to successfully treat it. Power antibiotics can be given to a person and this will eventually cause the bacteria to stop reproducing and eventually be eliminated. As strange as it sounds, the best way to treat an antibiotic-resistant infection is still antibiotics.
8. It’s Mostly An American Problem
There are different philosophies of antibiotic prescriptions around the world and this has created less of a MRSA problem for those areas. Europe, for example, also has specific screening protocols that are in place for all patients in certain medical settings in order to prevent the spread of the disease. Even so, the American problem of overuse wouldn’t be as bad if the average person would take their complete series of medication. Many people stop taking meds because they begin to feel better and this is what creates resistance.
9. There’s No Stopping MRSA As Of Yet
The best treatment options for MRSA are proactive ones and then determining what a particular strain’s unique weaknesses tend to be in order to treat an active infection. Right now, there really is now slowing down the rates of MRSA infections and as other antibiotics are used to treat it, there is a legitimate fear that the bacteria will grow resistant to those as well. That would leave a drug called Colistin as the choice of last resort as it can kill many things, but can also hurt the kidneys and the nerves.
10. It’s An Expensive Drug to Treat
The total cost to treat MRSA infections every year is at least $8 billion. This includes the added time required for a hospital stay, which is 6 extra days on average. A US patient with MRSA can expect to shell out at least $10,000 in additional medical expenses, even if they are one of the 2.4% who obtain an infection from a hospital setting.
MRSA can be controlled with proper hygiene and personal protective equipment. By being smart about this infection, we can turn the tide in treating it and make it eventually go away.