MRSA: Hype or Hysteria

We are in a world dominated by the media. If the media do not think something is important you will not hear about it. If the media see something as important then it is rammed down your throat morning, noon and night.

SA or staph or staphylococcus aureus has been around for a long time. It was documented in around 1880. The doctors thought that the invention of the antibiotic penicillin in the second world war would see an end to these wound infections. Unfortunately the bacteria did not want to die so produced an enzyme called penicillinase that made the penicillin useless. By 1959 it was observed that 90 to 95% of the SA bacteria reacted like that. The scientists fought back with Methicillin, an improved antibiotic to kill the staph but within a year of the introduction of methicillin, the SA was fighting and winning. So the term MRSA was born Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.

So the battle lines are drawn between the scientists of the antibiotic manufacturers and the staph infection. Like any other organism on the planet it will fight to survive. How is it doing? About 30% of people are colonized with the MRSA. Last year 19,000 Americans died from MRSA, to put that into perspective more died of MRSA than of AIDS (17,000 http://www.avert.org/usastaty.htm). The figures of deaths from influenza are between 20,000 and 40,000 annually. So it is a problem but one that we can influence by proper hygiene.

Scientists are currently looking into other ways of defeating MRSA, and other infections that react to antibiotics. One approach uses the proteins present in the MRSA bacteria to trigger the body's own defense mechanism to attack the bacteria. Another vaccine stops the “quorum sensing” and prevents the MRSA from turning from harmless into virulent. These approaches are nowhere near ready to be tried on humans yet but they do offer promise by not attempting to directly kill the bacteria. The MRSA bacteria is very good at avoiding death.

So until we see some of these new vaccines on the market and proven in their effectiveness, we must continue to practice hygiene and teach all those we are responsible for to do the same. “Wash your hands”, “shower when sweaty”, “keep wounds clean” and “dispose of plasters and bandages” may not sound great slogans but they must be followed to keep this pest at bay in your home, family and neighborhood.