The Lariat

Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: Health

he Staph Infection is back only this time it's not hitting hospitals and it's not cured with antibiotics. MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) struck seven schools in the U.S. and brings concern for where it will go next.

MRSA, according to the Public Health Services of Orange County, is spread by skin-to-skin contact through objects that have been contaminated with bacteria and are shared or used by more than one person. MRSA can appear as pimples, spider bites, or boils, It can also cause abscesses,pneumonia, and bone or bloodstream infections.

According to USA Today, risks of infection include hospitalization within the last twelve months, nursing home residency, or catheterization. Those whotake drugs by injection, prisoners in jails, people on sports teams, frequent users of antibiotics, and those in crowded living spaces. This includes homeless,shelters,camps, boarding schools, and daycare centers.

Lisa Cavallaro, Manager at Saddleback's Child Development Center found out about the epidemic through websites, list services at the national level, licensing agencies, and the campus Health Center urges students and faculty not to ignore MRSA.

"This issueshould be examined and taken seriously," Cavallaro said. "I believe that Orange County agencies that focus on health and safety issues will generate local public announcements to help the general population understand the serious nature of staph infections."

Many like Sarah Tones, a teacher at La Tierra Elementary have become scared of this infection but continue to go on with life.
When an infection like this arises one must question the cleanness factor that supports the rapid spread of MRSA.

"It made me so mad when my son came home from school and he said, "Mom there's no soap in the bathroom," Tones said. "I told him to ask his teacher and he said that she didn't care and was too busy. The school is not being responsible when these staph infections are going around and it concerns me as a parent and a teacher."

Tones, now more aware of the issues concerning MRSA is now more inclined to take action to prevent this infection.

Saddleback student Kaelin Carpi, 19, undecided believes that hospitals are more prone to infection because "they had it first" but is concerned of Saddleback's risk of infection.

"I don't think Saddleback is very cleanly. The bathrooms are disgusting and then there are cigarettes all over the place,"
Carpi said. "Kids at Saddleback don't care about the campus and how clean it should be."

With the Journal of the American Medical Association estimating more than 94,000 MRSA infections in the U.S. each year that kill more than HIV and AIDS, Cavallaro suggests some tips to prevent infection.

"You should practice frequent and rough hand washing, cover cuts and scrapes with a clean bandage and don't touch other people's wounds or bandages," said Cavallaro.

"Do not share personal items like towels or razors, and wipe down surfaces you come into contact with at the gym or in a locker room, and Practice universal precautions for infectious disease."

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