MRSA in the News

The news this week of the Virginia high school boy who died from acquiring CA-MRSA (community acquired methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) has been both heart-breaking, and potentially life saving.

MRSA is a known "superbug" meaning it is an infection that can't be killed by any existing antibiotics. And frighteningly, each time a new antibiotic is developed that might get rid of it, the pathogen alters its genetic makeup so it can overcome the antibiotic that was intended to kill it.

The death of the student in Virginia has outed MRSA. It has become part of our lexicon, and anyone who has watched, listened, or read the news during the past week knows that it's a killer, and that it's possible to acquire it, or avoid it.

Learning about these infections, and learning how to protect ourselves from them, are the front lines of defense. Washing and sanitizing our hands, insisting our children or others wash and sanitize their hands, too, and being careful about what we touch, especially in public places, will begin to put a stop to the spread of these deadly pathogens.

I extend my sympathies to the family and loved ones of the boy who died. I hope someday they will understand that his death created a life-saving silver lining in the form of a loud warning to others about MRSA and other hospital and community acquired infections.