MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a word that strikes fear into the very soul of most moms! So when I was contacted to share information about MRSA and about the site Stop MRSA Now!, I instantly said I’d love to!

MRSA is a type of Staph infection that can be found primarily on the skin or in the nose and it is VERY resistant to antibiotics, rendering it what is commonly known as a “Superbug”.  Unfortunately, the biggest problem with MRSA is that it is responsible for a disturbingly increasing number of deaths in the US.

The more traditional form of MRSA in the past has been Healthcare Associated (HA-MRSA) – in other words, people were getting it from hospitals and other health care centers.  A newer form of MRSA is called Community Associated (CA-MRSA) has begun to spread in public places like gyms, locker rooms, schools and homes!

Obviously it is very important for all of us to spread the word on the actions we can take as moms to prevent and discover MRSA before it gets carried away!  Here are the suggestions for preventing MRSA:

• Scrub up – Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand rub sanitizer.
• Wipe it down – Use a disinfecting bleach solution to wipe down and disinfect hard surfaces. (1 tablespoon of disinfecting bleach diluted in 1 quart of water).
• Cover your cuts – Keep any nicks or wounds covered with a clean, dry bandage until healed.
• Keep to yourself – Do not share personal items, like towels or razors, that come into contact with bare skin.
• Use a barrier – Keep a towel or clothing between skin and shared equipment.

For kids who play sports (especially football and hockey), extra precaution should be taken to make sure that the athlete stays healthy: shower after sports, if any of their gear is shared is should NOT touch their skin directly (always wear a tshirt underneath) and that they DO NOT share towels!

Signs to look for are:

MRSA, like other staph bacteria, can cause a skin infection such as pimples, rashes, abscesses, boils or what can look like a spider bite. These infections are usually warm, painful, red or swollen.

The very best thing we can do is educate ourselves on this disease, how to prevent it and what to look for! For even more information I truly recommend that you visit www.StopMRSANow.org and definitely get their MRSAPlaybook – a pdf book that gives you lots of information that you can keep on hand or print it out and distribute it to your child’s school, daycare, church or even the ladies in your playgroup.

Start by teaching your children how to wash up and making sure that they have hand sanitizer available to them all day at school as well as carrying some in your purse or diaper bag is a GREAT place to begin!  By being proactive with our families and in our community we are helping save lives!  Please join me and share this information with everyone you know!  You can blog about it, talk about it, email about it – letting people know about the website.  You can even send them to this post if you need a place to begin.

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This entry was written by Shera on Friday, October 24th, 2008 at 11:16 am and is filed under Family, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.