County staph cases rise to nine

Manassas Journal Messenger ^ | October 21, 2007 | AILEEN M. STRENG

[Nickname]

Prince William County Schools had four new cases of the antibiotic-resistant staph infection, bringing the total to nine.

The new student cases were confirmed at Benton Middle School, Lake Ridge Elementary and Vaughan Elementary schools. The employee case was reported at Freedom High School. The school district released the information about the new cases Friday evening

[Caipirabob]

Probably higher numbers due to higher awareness. It's been noted that this bacteria is carried by some 30% of the population. The problem is when it enters your bloodstream via a wound and the wound turns septic.

But yeah, you can recognize the pattern from the media. EVERYONE PANIC!!!!!

[momincombatboots]

Perhaps you are right. However, here in Buncombe County NC schools, they are NOT allowed to use disinfectants on the students desks. The rationale is, they put their pencils on the desk and then in their mouths. The teachers are to wipe the desktops off with a damp cloth at the end of the day. Bacteria just love a little moisture for the evening.

[Caramelgal]

Bacteria of many types live on and in our bodies and many, like the ones that live in our intestines are beneficial and absolutely necessary for normal digestion and even inhibit the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria.

But staph is some pretty nasty stuff and not our friend.

Staph infections used to be pretty much limited to hospitals and nursing centers hitting people with weakened immune systems due to surgery or illnesses. Seeing this crop up in other places like schools and among otherwise healthy people is very concerning.

The problem with antibiotic-resistant “super bugs” may not be a result of not being clean enough but perhaps our attempts at being too clean and sterile.

Antibiotics drugs and antibacterial agents are miracles of modern science and save millions of lives but their overuse, indiscriminant use and misuse over the years have helped create this problem.

Doctors used to hand antibiotics out like jelly beans even for viral infections as a preventative, more often just killing off “healthy” bacteria instead. But the bigger issue is with people not taking antibiotics properly. Despite doctors and pharmacists telling us to take the whole prescription, a lot of folks stop taking them as soon they start “feeling” better. And even worse, they save the extra pills and take a few every time they come down with light sneeze. The result is that not all the “bad bugs” are killed and the ones that survive have “learned” to adapt and evolve so that the next time the same antibiotic is given it’s less effective.

And we’ve to some extent have collectively become germaphobes. We buy all types of products that contain antibacterial agents; soaps, hand creams, dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, disposable cleaning wipes, etc. I’ve even see advertisements for workout clothing and socks laced with antibacterial agents.

We have made the wrong assumption that every bacteria is a bad bacteria and natural selection at work and these “animal’s” strong survival instinct is coming back to bite us – literally.