Super Staph Germ Can Be a Killer

A super staph germ that is resistant to current antibiotics has plagued hospitals, nursing homes and other multi-resident care facilities for some time. But a new, more aggressive strain has been responsible for thousands of recent illnesses. My uncle contracted an antibiotic-resistant staph infection while undergoing chemotherapy treatments at a Cincinnati hospital. Over the summer, there were news reports of an outbreak of the super germ at an East Coast day care center. This fall, several cases were traced to a Midwest high school locker room.

"An estimated 90,000 people in the United states fall ill each year from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA," said a recent article by Associated Press reporter Randolph Schmid. "It is not clear how many die from the infection. One estimate put the number at more than 18,000, which would be slightly higher than U.S. deaths from AIDS."

Attacking people with reduced immune systems, the super staph germ undermines the body's defense mechanisms by causing germ-fighting cells to explode, thus eliminating the body's main defense against infection. While antibiotic-resistant staph germs are generally found in health-care environments, the highly aggressive new strain is cropping up in communal settings like schools, assisted living facilities and day care centers. Called community-associated MRSA, or CA-MRSA, the new strain of super staph can cause severe infection and even death in otherwise healthy people. Recently, CA-MRSA caused the death of a 17-year-old Virginia high school student.

For years, Americans have overused antibiotics. Part of the problem is that patients have demanded and doctors have prescribed antibiotics for many illnesses for which they are not effective. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics, but that hasn't stopped us from asking our doctors for a prescription when we have a bad cold. Even when antibiotics are called for, Americans demand to start with the most powerful drug available. Children with chronic earaches or chronic bronchitis can find themselves immune to low-dose antibiotics by the time they reach high school.

It's the development of super germs like CA-MRSA that have finally caught the attention of the medical community and the public. Most physicians these days are circumspect about antibiotic use and prescribe low-dose drugs whenever possible. As a society, it's in our best interests to prevent the overuse of antibiotics and protect our disease-fighting drug arsenal. Otherwise, the next vicious super bug could run rampant through America and we will be powerless to stop it.