Didja see: Warnings About Drug-Resistant 'Super Bug'

[Flower]

Does any one have any better information about this drug resistant Staph infection -- CA-MRSA -- stands for community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus--found in clusters of gay men in Los Angeles and San Francisco?

 

http://webmd.lycos.com/content/article/60/66950.htm?pagenumber=1

 

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/kpix/20030201/lo_kpix/5699

 

One article says "The bug is passed through very intimate sexual contact.."

 

The SF article says "there might be a cluster among gay men associated with a gym here in San Francisco."

 

Here we go again ;(

[Rod Hagen]

I talked to both my Dermatologist and an Infectious Disease Specialist friend of mine about that article after I read it Monday. Neither seemed all too concerned about it. Rather they see it as just another part of the larger problem of drug-resistant germs. Americans should stop using anti-bacterial soap (except after sex and pooping of course), quit taking antibiotics at the first sign of the sniffles, yada yada, same stuff Doctors have been saying for 4 years now.

 

Nevertheless as a masseur (they both know) and an escort (they don't know) I'm quite concerned and am going to be watching this fucker.

-Hagen

[Guest JT]

RE: Didja see: Warnings About Drug-Resistant 'Super Bug...

 

>I talked to both my Dermatologist and an Infectious Disease

>Specialist friend of mine about that article after I read it

>Monday. Neither seemed all too concerned about it.

 

I agree. But it's important for public health officials to track the spread of these bacteria in the community more accurately and in a timely fashion. Also, people can become carriers of MRSA (on the skin or in the nasal passage) without any signs and symptoms. In general, if a person is healthy and his immune system functions properly, then MRSA is not a threat (unless the bacteria get underneath the skin and start invading deeper tissues and blood). MRSA is particularly dangerous for people who are hospitalized and immunocompromised. The bacteria can kill and do kill! It's one of the more virulent bacteria associated with hospital-acquired infections (in the blood, surgical wound, bone, and lungs, etc.) At present, vancomycin is the only antibiotic that is effective in treating MRSA infections but unfortunately, vancomycin-resistant S. aureus has already emerged. That means the worse has yet to come!

 

 

>Rather they see it as just another part of the larger problem of

>drug-resistant germs.

 

Americans are not alone in this WAR! This is the kind of war that everyone in the world should and can do something about!

 

 

>Americans should stop using anti-bacterial soap (except after sex >and pooping of course),

 

Actually, there is really not much scientific evidence to support that anti-bacterial soap is more effective than regular soap in day-to-day activities. We do recommend health professionals who are involved in invasive/surgical procedures to use anti-baterial soap for hand scrub prior to performing the procedures, however.

 

 

>quit taking antibiotics at the first sign of the sniffles,

>yada yada, same stuff Doctors have been saying for 4 years

>now.

 

We've been saying that for many years but unfortunately a lot of GPs never listen and are still prescribing antibiotics unnecessarily. The increaing and inappropriate use of antibiotics in the animal farming industry doesn't help neither!

 

JT

[Flower]

RE: Didja see: Warnings About Drug-Resistant 'Super Bug...

 

I'm sure over prescribing is a big part of it, but I'm still amazed at the number of my friends who, after starting to feel better having taking only half of the prescribed regimine of an antibiotic -- then they try to "economize" and save the rest for another day x(

That's the worse thing you can do--and a big contributor (I have heard) to drug resistant bacteria--they are not stomped out with only the half regimine and just come back stronger or worse, immune to further antibiotic therapy.

[Guest JT]

RE: Didja see: Warnings About Drug-Resistant 'Super Bug...

 

>but I'm still amazed at the number of my friends who,

>after starting to feel better having taking only half of the

>prescribed regimine of an antibiotic -- then they try to

>"economize" and save the rest for another day x(

 

You're right. Non-compliance and misuse of antibiotics are important contributors to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms. However, if physicians do a better job in prescribing antibiotics and educating their patients regarding the importance of following the prescribed regimen, we'll be able to slow down the mutation of microbes that become antibiotic-resistant. In addition, many primary health care providers were not deligent in their handwashing (esp. between patients) and in many cases, even negligent in using the appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (including MRSA) in the hospitals. Other factors play a role as well. These include increasing mobility of travellers and an aging population with increasing number of people who have chronic, serious illnesses (such as diabetes) and/or receive treatments (such as chemo, radiation therapy, and immunosuppressive drugs) that compromise their immune system!

 

JT

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

use and misuse

 

The points about non-compliance and misuse or poor use of antibiotics in general are well taken. An additional factor to consider is the use of common antibiotics, which are either identical or sufficiently similar to those meant for human use, in animals raised for consumption as meat products. While there are valid points in the lack of sufficient scientific study on these and other factors, such as genetical modified foods (which also gets us vastly off topic), I think paying more attention to diet generally is more beneficial than whether or not you are using anti-bacterial soaps, for example.

 

A good understanding of an illness you may have and the beneficial ways of treatment, as opposed to merely taking what is prescribed, without question, would also be of more use.

 

Finally, as an additional, and unsuported piece of information to the original links (I cannot find wherein I read this, it may have been one of the local gay papers, and I cannot now find the reference to say with certainty), I recall reading a quote from an MD with a large AIDS practice saying that had first notice a cluster of resistant strains in their immune compromised patients.

[Guest feisty1]

RE: Didja see: Warnings About Drug-Resistant 'Super Bug...

 

>...then they try to

>"economize" and save the rest for another day...

 

If drugs were reasonably priced and quality health care affordable, that wouldn't be an issue. Fat chance of that happening under the current administration, however.

 

--Michael

<N.P. "Buy It in Bottles" - Richard Ashcroft>