Med News Today

Bacterium Invading Schools

The methicillin-resistant bacterium Staphylococcus aureus has invaded many school, jails, gyms and just about anywhere bacteria grows, according to a report published by the Los Angeles Times.

"I would characterize it as widespread, and in some areas it is epidemic," said Jeff Hageman, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a coauthor of two studies on staph published last year.

There are few statistics on the disease, because resistant staph infections are not routinely reported to the CDC. But one study published last year in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases estimated there were about 126,000 cases from 1999 to 2000 — twice the number of hepatitis B cases each year.

"The rapidity with which this has emerged over the last two to three years is probably unprecedented," said Donald Low, a microbiologist at the University of Toronto who was one of the key scientists who dealt with Toronto's SARS outbreak in 2003. "When you look at the numbers, this way outstrips other so-called new infectious diseases."

posted by nattietodd @ 3:09 AM