This bad bug can pose a serious threat to kids’ health

By Janara J. Huff, MD

It’s a really bad bug that has the potential to do serious harm, especially to children. Methicillin-resistant Staph aureus, or MRSA (pronounced MER-sa), is a type of bacteria that can be resistant to treatment with many standard antibiotics, including methicillin. For that reason, a MRSA infection can sometimes be life-threatening. MRSA infections were once known as the cause of severe wound and bloodstream infections primarily in patients at hospitals and nursing homes. But now MRSA infections are occurring in otherwise healthy people—especially children and teens who have never been hospitalized or in contact with hospitalized patients or with those who work in a medical environment. MRSA infections are often seen in settings such as daycare, schools and camps. These community-acquired MRSA infections are particularly common among sports teams whose members have close personal contact and share clothing and other personal items. MRSA bacteria often live in our noses, and other warm, moist areas of our body, without causing any symptoms. But the bacteria are easily spread from one person to another by hand and skin contact, and it’s not uncommon for several members of one family to be affected. MRSA frequently causes painful boils or soft tissue infections that are often confused with spider bites because of their similar appearance. It often enters the body through a cut or scrape and can cause a skin infection. The infected site may be red, swollen and painful, and may have pus or other drainage. Sometimes an infection that starts on the skin will worsen and cause widespread infection, including bone and joint infections, severe pneumonia, and even brain and bloodstream infections. That’s why it’s important to contact your doctor if you think you or your child has a MRSA infection. For a mild or moderate skin infection, a doctor may simply drain the abscess or boil. Although most MRSA infections are treatable with antibiotics, only a limited number of antibiotics are available to work effectively against MRSA. The best protection against this germ is frequent hand washing or use of hand disinfectants. You can also protect yourself and your family by following these tips: ∑ Keep hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. ∑ Clean cuts and scrapes as soon as they occur, and keep them covered until they heal. ∑ Do not share personal items such as towels, clothing or razors. ∑ Wash or clean shared sports equipment between uses with disinfectants. ∑ Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages. ∑ Place clothing or a towel between your skin and shared exercise equipment. ∑ Wipe surfaces of exercise equipment before and after use. ∑ Shower after working out.

Janara J. Huff, MD, specializes in infectious diseases at T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger. She is also an associate professor of pediatrics with the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga. For more information, call Erlanger’s physician referral line at 423-778-LINK (5465).