When we hear terms like "100,000 wounded, 20,000 dead, and explosions which render bodies helpless," automatically we think of terror bombs. According to U.S health reports, the newly aggressive staph infection---methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA (for short) ---- undermines the body's defenses first and then causes germ-fighting cells to explode. With such alarming statistics, why is no-one telling us the origin of this bacterium, where it originated, how infectious it is, and/or if the bacteria is laboratory-designed? To make bad matters worse, health practitioners are trying to imply that there are two strains, even though the evidence is clouded. From their reports, supposedly there is a milder version that floats around hospitals and health-care facilities only, and a (check this out) more deadly version that lurks around larger communities.
I am not trying to trivialize a serious matter. When you break down the findings, except for location of discovery, what differences do the two supposedly different strains manifest? The first reports pointed to cases in health care facilities, where MRSA attacked people with reduced immune systems; however many recent cases involve an aggressive strain, community-associated MRSA, or CA-MRSA. That type supposedly causes severe infections and even death in otherwise healthy people outside of health care settings.
A team of U.S. and German researchers, led by Michael Otto of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, published some findings in Sunday Nov 4th 's online edition of the Journal Nature Medicine. According to their report, the new CA-MRSA strain secretes a compound (called peptides) formed by amino acids, which causes immune cells (neutrophils) to burst---eliminating a main defense against infection---according to researchers. Although only 14-percent of serious MRSA infections are the community-associated kind, in recent months, they have created news headlines with an avalanche of reports in schools, including the death of a 17-year-old Virginia high school student.
ARE THERE REALLY TWO TYPES?
Both hospital-associated and community-associated MRSA contain genes for the peptides, but their production is much higher in the CA-MRSA, the researchers said. The compounds first cause inflammation, drawing the immune cells to the site of the infection and then destroying those cells. As I examine all reports, we are told that one well-behaved type, which is allegedly confined to and transferable in controlled health facilities, can be eliminated, reduced, managed, and or minimized by washing hands, wearing disposable gloves and by observing basic hygiene precautions.
LETHAL HANDSHAKES, SNEEZES AND KISSES OF DEATH:
What about the wider and wilder community where the more reckless version lurks? How many people wash their hands regularly? What guarantees do we have that food carriers will not break the chain of command? According to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, NIAID director in their published report, all those relevant data are not yet available. Here is his quote "Understanding what makes the infections caused by these new strains so severe, and developing new drugs to treat them are urgent public health priorities." In other words, we do not know yet if this new bacteria, which has killed approximately 20,000 people so far, can be spread by sneezing or kissing. More alarming is the fact that health-care practitioners are issuing memos to the effect that the milder type can even propagate within their hallowed walls.
THE BIGGER PROBLEM:
If experts are telling us how easy it is to spread in a controlled health-care facility, then what will happen if this bacterium is released intentionally in a controlled space like an airline or a crowded train? Now is the time for us to ask those types of questions and to demand answers. Since playgrounds are so vulnerable, how much more would public transportation become? At this point, please understand that I am not in the business of creating unnecessary panic: all I am asking for is that other writers begin to seek out responsible people for proper analyses.
BLOOD TESTS BEFORE BOARDING FLIGHTS?
It is not inconceivable that in the near future, before we board airplanes we will be asked to submit to a blood test. Why not? If we keep festering antagonism between people from nations who are not afraid of death, it stands to reason that devious minds will be on the hunt for new and undetectable WMD's.
Since reading that report I have searched far and wide for as much information as possible. It helps that 10 family members work in the medical field. I checked local and regional Departments of Health. Most are posting general advisories to their personnel, informing them that Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is an antibiotic-resistant (check this) hospital-acquired infection that seems to be prevalent in, but not limited to, hospitalized patients. That is supposedly the milder of the two.
SYMPTOMS:
MRSA carriers can be asymptomatic. The symptoms for MRSA depend on the areas of the body where infections occur. Areas that manifest symptoms will show tenderness, swelling, and red to brown discoluoration at infected areas. Especially prone are eyes, burn spots, surgical wounds, exposed skin, and mouths-related sores. Since patients can be infected through improperly sterilized catheters and through contaminated blood, health care workers are asked to increase screening techniques and to pay particular attention to the known symptoms.
CURTAIL TRANSMISSION THROUGH PREVENTION!
If the patient is known to have an MRSA infection, the health-care worker should wear disposable gloves. Patients must also wash their hands to avoid spreading the bacteria to others. In some cases it can be undetected for long periods of time both before and after treatment. Other times, the source of infection will be reddened, swollen, and quite tender. Health-care workers are asked to sterilize their hands regularly, to wear gowns and to change disposable gloves often, especially when coming in contact with infected patients. Naturally, upon discovery of the symptoms health-care personnel should begin treatment immediately. However, the undetected type in the wider community called CA-MRSA, is considered not only more deadly than AIDS, but also it is so much easier to transmit. We cannot rest comfortably, knowing that a simple thing like a handshake can transmit the bacterium.
* LABORATORY ANALYSIS MANDATORY:
MRSA infections can be diagnosed when a doctor obtains a sample or specimen from the site of infection and submits it to a laboratory. The laboratory places the specimen on a special "culture" plate containing nutrients, incubates the plate in a warmer and then identifies the bacteria. The final step is for the laboratory to conduct tests using various antibiotics to determine if the bacteria are resistant (able to withstand or tolerate) or sensitive (susceptible to killing) to select antibiotics.
NEWER ANTIBIOTIC:
Although MRSA cannot be effectively treated with antibiotics such as methicillin, nafcillin, cephalosporin or penicillin, one strain can be treated with vancomycin. However, a few strains of Staphylococcus aureus have become resistant to vancomycin. The vancomycin-resistant strains may be more difficult to detect and treat. Newer antibiotics are being developed to address this problem.
WHAT LEGAL HURDLES THIS NEW ENEMY POSES?
MRSA claims are difficult to legislate for many reasons. Even if it turns out to be a silent bomb, almost all insurance companies waive claims in acts of war. Making successful claims for health-care-associated infections (HAIs) are not easy. However, a few claims have been successfully legislated. If the NHS had to begin paying out compensation claims to all health care patients who actually contracted MRSA, medical insurance would be prohibitive. Here are some difficulties that claimants can expect to encounter, to date.
Proving the source of contact would be problematic, mainly because this bacterium can hitch rides on dirty hands. The recent severe strains are now called community MSRA because they have been discovered in various outdoor communities as well: locker rooms, door knobs, playgrounds etc. In such types of litigations, the burden of proof lies on the litigant to prove that the health-care facility was negligent. On the other hand, the health-care facility just needs to prove it exercised "due care" or "due diligence." Since the health-care facility is the one making the diagnosis, how many facilities would actually say that you collected the infection in their house as opposed to coming in with the infection---unless there was an epidemic?
To reduce risks, European healthcare providers have standardized procedures for screening, handling---in short, for minimizing risks. I am sure that as I am writing this, lawyers and insurance companies are busy on both sides of the Atlantic, functioning in a manner similar to that of computer antivirus companies. The frightening aspect of all this is that big companies only get jolted into action when large sums are awarded for negligence. Is that why we are hearing no alarms from public transportation companies?
DISCLAIMER:
This article is not designed to cause panic, but to broaden concern. It is better to live of the side of preventative caution-if we care enough, than to be victims of a possible pandemic.
Basil C. Hill is a radio host, V.P of United Nations of the Americas--Antigua Chapter, and author of "The Golden Fleece Found by Basil Hill --
http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Fleece-Found-Basil-Hill/dp/1412043190
Suggested readings on MRSA: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735
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