Staph Infections Plague Nation's Schools

Campuses have been alive with discussion over the past few weeks with reports of infections and a death from a treatment-resistant staph infection.

Nearly 18,000 Americans die each year from Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), the very same infection that killed a Virginia high school student last week and prompted the closing of 21 Virginia schools. Other cases have now been reported in Georgia. The question is why it is important. Why is it being brought into the national spotlight now and why is the health care community being scrutinized?

To answer those questions, you need to know a little about staphylococcus aureus, more commonly called staph, and its mutation MRSA. According to WebMD, staph is a bacteria commonly found on the skin and in the nose. It does not affect the individual unless it gets in an open wound and causes infection. MRSA is simply a mutation of the staph bacteria. The mutation makes it resistant to antibiotics and thus deadly if it causes an infection and is left to spread. Staph infection, the unaltered version, is generally found in hospitals and nursing homes, but not so commonly found in schools. Scientists report that school locker rooms are a source of staph as well. The ironic thing is the spread of this germ, both staph and MRSA, can be stopped by a little Dial soap and good old H2O.

Hospitals are the source of about 85% of MRSA infections. Health care officials agree that steps need to be taken to enforce a more stringent infection control program in hospitals and nursing homes.

The outcry from the community might finally force health care officials to make a much-needed change.