Beware of a “spider bite” when you haven’t seen a spider. Pay attention to an angry “boil” when it seems to be getting worse and when you begin to feel super funky. Get to an emergency room and INSIST that your skin eruption be tested for CA-MRSA.
For decades MRSA (minus the CA) has plagued vulnerable hospital patients. The infection finds its way into the blood stream and from there into the lungs. As always, bugs breed and adapt much faster than man’s arsenal of antibiotics so researchers will always be racing to catch up.
The addition of the “CA” (community associated) means that MRSA has jumped the hospital wall and is now able to travel freely among healthy people of all ages. Once it gets into your lungs, you are in for the battle of your life.
CA-MRSA is spread by skin-to-skin contact and by sharing personal items like clothing and towels. It thrives in crowded environments like gyms, playgrounds, military bases and schools.
Watch for any painful bump that feels hot, looks angry and oozes. This is not the time to self-medicate!
Protect yourself by washing your hands frequently. Avoid sharing personal items. Become politically aware of the potential problem of using antibiotics routinely on livestock and by misuse of antibiotics by doctors and patients.
If you want to do further research, the full name for CA-MRSA is Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. A nasty bugger.
Be well. Breathe beautifully.
