Superbug Germ kills 3 in Chicago

abcnews.go.com...


Sep 21, 2005 — Three Chicago-area children have died of a toxic shock syndrome-like illness caused by a superbug they caught in the community and not in the hospital, where the germ is usually found.

The cases show that this already worrisome staph germ has become even more dangerous by acquiring the ability to cause this shock-like condition.

"There's a new kid on the block," said Dr. John Bartlett of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, referring to the added strength of the superbug known as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.




"The fact that there are three community-acquired staph aureus cases is really scary," continued Bartlett, an infectious disease specialist.

Is this it???


This is very bad news...

That is quite worrying. We've had a few thousand deaths from that here in Britain but all of them contracted the bug in hospitals I think. If it has moved out into the open community it could get very nasty.

I live in Chicago, they have talked about it, not like its a big deal. They say to keep clean, in group kinds of things, sports, day-cares.....

I think its a very big deal.

The three died between 2000 and 2004

From 1998:
www.uchospitals.edu...


I think the death rate from meningitis is worse.

Originally posted by dgtempe
"The fact that there are three community-acquired staph aureus cases is really scary," continued Bartlett, an infectious disease specialist.

Is this it???

This is very bad news...

This is not it. Humanity will not be destroyed by a single disease.

If the disease is highly virulent it will kill off its hosts before it can spread too far. This is why diseases with high mortality rates and low incubation periods haven’t already destroyed all life on the planet.

Scenarios like that shown in the Stephen King novel, The Stand, just don’t happen because they can’t happen.

Staph is a rather nasty litter bugger. It has been responsible for three local deaths in open heart surgery cases in the very recent past. The HCA affilliated hospital has stopped all open heart ops. until they can find the way it is getting into the OR's My guess is that people do not wash their hands as much as they need in that invironment which is laden with bug becasue thats where all the sick people are. Roanoke Memorial Hospital

I had this in my toe last year. It's resistant to about 90% of antibiotics. My father had it in his bladder, and my mother almost died from this earlier in the year. She became septic from a bacterial infection, and MRSA moved in because of it.

As long as you wash with warm soapy water, and keep any skin irregularities covered (boils, blisters, cuts) then you will be ok. It's actually not a very common infection, and MOST people aren't at risk from it, unless it gets into your entire body.

Most hospital workers are carriers of MRSA actually. They don't get sick from it, but they carry it.

[edit on 9/22/2005 by Zaphod58]

You might find this post (and indeed, the thread) interesting.

Staph can catch you in any location and affect virtually any bodily system, though in non-hospital acquired infections you usually see it arising in boils, pimples, simple cuts and the like.

MRSA isn't new, either - and because we're becoming so dependant upon antibiotics, we're paradoxically going to see more and more of it, simply because the drugs we use will cause the bacteria to mutate and cause even more trouble.

They adapt much quicker than we do and it's a very vicious circle.

Nice information on MRSA

Originally posted by boredom
Humanity will not be destroyed by a single disease.

Scenarios like that shown in the Stephen King novel, The Stand, just don’t happen because they can’t happen.

Erm. Welcome to the new world, boredom. Things are about to get a lot more exciting for you.

As Dr. Mark Miller said on CBC earlier this year, "Something happened 18 to 24 months ago, ..." and now, super bugs are mutating into more virulent forms on exposure to antibiotics.

Check out the research posted here:

Super Bugs and Super Flu


.

A Matter Of Degree

Three cases in four years is not exactly a pandemic.

Staph infections are as old as the hills, and yes, they can strike unexpectedly, and cause all sorts of horrible consequences.

From Wikipedia: "Staphylococcal infections can be spread through contact with pus from an infected wound, skin to skin contact with an infected person, and contact with objects such as towels, sheets, clothing, or athletic equipment used by an infected person."

It's not surprising that most cases occur in hospitals, but the idea that these modes of transmissions have been "limited to hospitals and other health care settings" (per the article) is inherently silly.

I anticipate many terrible plagues sweeping the world in the not-too-distant future, and maybe a staph variant will be among them, but I don't see evidence in this article suggesting so.

Originally posted by Majic
A Matter Of Degree

Three cases in four years is not exactly a pandemic.

True - but the reporting is limited - and may not be complete for the area - it certainly is limited to the area.

Staph infections are as old as the hills, and yes, they can strike unexpectedly, and cause all sorts of horrible consequences.

Community acquired staph A. is new.

It's not surprising that most cases occur in hospitals, but the idea that these modes of transmissions have been "limited to hospitals and other health care settings" (per the article) is inherently silly.

Until recently, community acquired staph was relatively benign, while hospital strains were much more dangerous. This has changed - the dangerous strains are now in the community, and becoming more virulent.

I anticipate many terrible plagues sweeping the world in the not-too-distant future, and maybe a staph variant will be among them, but I don't see evidence in this article suggesting so.

Maybe not in this particular article - but it's referencing the larger context.

Check this out for more information:

Super Bugs and Super Flu

In fact, the situation is quite chilling.