Vinalhaven, Maine MRSA outbreak, controlled
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/135860.html
Below is a photo of a Hand MRSA. Many of the infections on Vinalhaven affected the hands.
This is an update on a link I added here a few days back. It is good to hear that the MRSA outbreak on Vinalhaven Island in Maine has been controlled. Comments in this article make it sound like they were plagued with flea bites.
MRSA is a bit more serious than claimed here. Some of these victims had to be treated with powerful IV antibiotics. Some of them will be plagued with repeated infections and all of the victims families have been exposed within their homes to MRSA. Simple exposure is not in and of itself a problem. But, many of them may have become colonized. that means they will carry the MRSA bug. That is also not a problem UNLESS they become gravely ill and/or need hospitalization for invasive procedure. MRSA can then rear it’s ugly head and cause a myriad of problems. Patients must make their doctor and hospital aware of their close exposure to the infection. If the doctor does not order a MRSA screening, the patient should demand one. If they are colonized, they can have a simple treatment that will decrease their chances of serious active infection a great deal. And, they can be separated from patient who do not carry MRSA thus avoiding spread of the desease.
I suggested that former MRSA patients and caretakers of MRSA patients to be included in the populations to be screened by our hospitals here in Maine. They were not included. My opinion is that was a big mistake. Nobody wants to incite panic, but a little bit of panic makes people pay attention and absorb important information about their health and risks to it. MRSA status on admission to the hospitals is a very important status to be aware of.
So, it is good that the Maine CDC got right on this outbreak and worked to control it. I just hope they added this important patient education (about avoiding serious infection in the future) to their investigation process on the Island.
