“A drug-resistant strain of staph infection has gained the attention of the public in the past several months through numerous outbreaks. Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacteria, one that all of us are exposed to on a daily basis. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, 25 to 30 percent of people carry the bacteria without developing an infection.”
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A drug-resistant strain of staph infection has gained the attention of the public in the past several months through numerous outbreaks.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacteria, one that all of us are exposed to on a daily basis. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, 25 to 30 percent of people carry the bacteria without developing an infection.

We haven’t had any staph infections recently, said Diane Fashinpaur, director of the University of Akron’s Health Services. If we did, we would be in quick contact with the Akron Health Department.

Health Services follows the CDC guidelines on infectious diseases when presented with a staph infection? Fashinpaur said.

UA has not had any cases of staph infections for several years. According to Fashinpaur, the last case was not a drug-resistant strain.

MRSA, or Methicillin -resistant Staphylococcus aureus has become a very real concern to public health officials.

MRSA infections have been around for decades, however they were usually confined to isolated incidents with hospital patients who had compromised immune systems.

Staph infections are spread through physical contact. Contact with a surface that is contaminated with staph, whether it is a weight bench, another person or just about anything else, can end up causing a staph infection, according to the CDC.

Infections are usually treated with the antibiotic Methicillin or other common antibiotics, according to the CDC. Over the past 10 years, there have been increasing cases of staph infections that are resistant to these common forms of treatment.

Depending on the location and severity of the staph infection, the antibiotics can be administered orally or through a topical cream.

If there is no improvement in the patient’s condition in 24 to 48 hours after the administration of antibiotics, the patient should consult their healthcare provider as the infection could be caused by a drug- resistant strain of staph.

The CDC touts personal hygiene as the most important factor in preventing an infection. Wash your hands frequently and make sure to bandage cuts and scrapes. When the bacteria enter the body through cuts or abrasions in the skin, the chances for infection are much higher.

You can get it through the sharing of razors and towels along with skin-to-skin contact, Fashinpaur said.

Using a barrier such as a towel when sharing workout equipment and clean the surfaces of equipment before and after use are also good ways to prevent infection? she said.

Because staph is spread through physical contact with the bacteria, those who work and live in close quarters are more vulnerable to contracting an infection.

Athletes are also particularly vulnerable to infection because of shared workout equipment. The perfect breeding ground for bacteria is present in most locker rooms, Fashinpaur said.

The appearance of a staph infection is similar to that of any other infection. The skin will appear red and irritated and there may be bumps in the affected area.

The beginning stages will appear similar to a pimple or mosquito bite. As the infection develops, the site of the infection will continue to redden and begin to produce pus from the bumps.

Left untreated, a staph infection can be potentially deadly. The bacteria killed a California teenager when it began to attack his lungs last April. Some cases go untreated until the infection reaches an advanced stage? requiring amputation.

Staph can also develop into more complicated issues, such as blood infections, pneumonia or even bacterial meningitis.

Recently staph infections have been brought into public awareness through particularly tragic and highly publicized cases.

Last year, Brandon Noble, a football player for the Washington Redskins, had his career ended by a case of MRSA. The infection began after a knee surgery, and has kept the athlete in and out of the hospital since his diagnosis.

Local schools have also had to deal with staph infections.

Last year, the Valley Forge High School football team had three athletes contract staph infections? according to WEWS news in Cleveland.

Schools present an ideal setting for an outbreak of infectious disease such as staph, and local schools treat them carefully to prevent a possible outbreak, according to the CDC.

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