Tag Archive for: staphylococcus

MRSA at Home for the Holidays

/in /by

Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a threat to our health because the potential infections are severe and effective antibiotics to treat it are failing, yet it’s a strain of bacteria that exists just about everywhere, including in our homes. How can we limit exposure, and what can we do to prevent catching MRSA? That’s what a recent study attempted to discover.

A group of researchers recruited 150 healthy children who had been treated for a staph infection from 2012–2015 for a year-long study. All 692 people who lived in the house more than four nights per week were also recruited. That also included 154 dogs and cats. To establish a base line, cultures were collected from three anatomic sites of household members, two anatomic sites on dogs and cats, and 21 environmental surfaces to detect S. aureus. Interviews with household members were also done—no interviews with the dogs and cats. Data collection was repeated every quarter for 12 months.

The objective was to see how many new strains of S. aureus were introduced into the household and how many were transmitted between household members. Here’s what they found:

  • There were 510 introductions of novel strains into households.
  • There were 602 transmissions within households in a variety of ways.
  • Frequent hand washing reduced the likelihood that a new strain would be introduced.
  • Those who were exposed to S. aureus were mostly renters and those who shared bedrooms with strain-colonized housemates.
  • Transmission occurred more between household members who shared towels. I don’t think many people share bath towels, but hand towels are widely shared at home. Giving all family members their own hand towel could quickly become unwieldy in large families.
  • Finally, pets were most often the recipient of the transmission of bacteria, not the transmitters. (Who’s licking their dogs and cats?)

All kidding aside, this study illustrates how bacteria can be introduced into our environment and how it can be passed person to person or animal. It seems the best thing you can do to limit the spread of MRSA bacteria is to wash your hands regularly. With the holidays upon us, more people entering our homes, and more visits to family and friends, that seems to be the simplest solution to MRSA at home for the holidays.

Get yourself a gift of health this holiday season: the Optimal Performance program is on sale. Get prepared to have all the energy you need to achieve your goals in 2020. You can also shed that weight you’ve been wanting to lose. Order your copy today.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30570-5.

Research Update on Probiotics and Staph Infections

/in /by

One of the primary threats to our health is infection—specifically, antibiotic-resistant infections. We’ve all probably heard of people who became critically ill due to a life-threatening staph infection. A new research paper may give us insights on how we might be able to reduce the risk of getting infected with staphylococcus bacteria.

Researchers selected a remote village in Thailand to examine the relationship between bacillus and staphylococcus bacteria in humans; the researchers from the U.S. felt that residents of the remote location would be less likely to be exposed to food sterilization or antibiotics than people who live in urban areas. They collected and examined fecal and nasal samples from 200 volunteers from the village for the types and quantities of bacteria present.

They found that half the subjects had bacillus bacteria growing in their digestive system, and about two dozen subjects had fecal and nasal staphylococcus bacteria. They also noted that no subjects who had the bacillus bacteria had any signs of the staph bacteria.

The researchers then went on to do a rodent study to explain how the bacillus bacteria destroy the staph bacteria. While the how is important, it would take a lot of words to explain. Suffice it to say that regular consumption of bacillus probiotics can be protective against a staph infection. You can find it in sauerkraut, kim chi, and yogurt, or in supplement form.

One more research paper to review on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Reference: Nature 562:532–537 (2018).