Originally published February 22 2006
Public health experts weigh in on MRSA epidemic
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
MRSA, or what is commonly known as an antibiotic-resistant staph infection, is much more common than people think, according to ABC News, which reported figures that claim 2 million Americans carry the bacteria without symptoms of an infection.
Considered a "silent epidemic" by some public health experts, antibiotic-resistant staph infections are a growing threat to public health.
The medical name for the infection is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
Because it is resistant to many antibiotics, MRSA can be very difficult to treat, resulting in major infections and even death.
There are two major classifications of MRSA, depending on the route of infection: The more common one is hospital-acquired MRSA, in which patients are infected during medical treatment, and the other is community-acquired MRSA, in which patients are infected during their normal daily routines.
The bacteria enter the body wherever they can find an opening, from minor cuts to inhalation through the mouth or nose.
Testing positive for MRSA does not automatically mean that you are sick.
Around 1 percent of the population is a MRSA carrier, meaning the carrier can spread the bacteria without necessarily becoming ill.
MRSA is becoming a bigger problem both in hospitals and in the community.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reviewed the prevalence of MRSA in intensive care units and found a dramatic increase over time.
Hospital-associated MRSA is generally more serious because it often occurs in people who have weakened immune systems because of age (very young or very old) or illness.
These patients frequently acquire MRSA infections at surgical sites, where it can spread to the bloodstream and cause damage to such organs as the lungs and heart.
The newer antibiotic vancomycin is often a current choice in treating MRSA, but the bacteria are now showing some signs of becoming resistant to this drug too.
Bacteria generally start showing resistance fairly quickly to any medication that's designed to defeat them.
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