Infectious disease experts from across the country recently said that MRSA infections are a more immediate concern to public health than SARS or bird flu.
Last week, the New England Journal of Medicine published a report that said MRSA (methicillin-resistant syaphyloccus aureus) is now the most common cause of skin infections in adults. It is now estimated that MRSA causes approximately 90,000 “serious” infections a year and results in 17,000 deaths.
Hospitals across the United States have begun programs to test patients for MRSA in an attempt to stop the problem. Last week, the Veterans Affairs Hospital started testing everyone for the infection with they are admitted and before they leave the hospital. Other hospitals have started testing on smaller portions of their patient populations.
MRSA began showing up in hospitals in the 1960s. In the 1990’s, it began appearing in athletes, prisoners, military personnel and I.V. drug users outside of hospitals. Experts saw that a new version of the virus was being spread by sharing razors and towels or by touching infected surfaces like gym machines and having close contact with infected people. MRSA causes skin lesions that look similar to pimples or boils and are often misdiagnosed as spider bites.
Experts say that reporting these infections on a national level is key to prevention efforts. “We’re counting cases of chicken pox and measles, for which there are vaccines,” said Dr. William Jarvis, an infection control specialist. “We should be counting MRSA too.”
