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Sept. 28, 2006 -- Drug-resistant staph infections -- called MRSA -- are common, tough to treat, and may become an even bigger problem unless this "super bug" can be squashed.
That's the finding in three new studies on MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria.
The studies were presented today in San Francisco, at the American Society for Microbiology's 46th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
MRSA causes infections in different parts of the body. It's tougher to treat than most strains of Staphylococcus aureus because it's immune to some commonly used antibiotics. That's why it's sometimes called a "super bug."
MRSA usually causes mild skin infections, such as pimples or boils. But it can also result in more serious skin infections or infect surgical wounds, the bloodstream, and organs.
While most MRSA infections aren't serious, some can be life-threatening.
Many public health experts are alarmed by the spread of tough strains of the bacteria.
Health Threat
MRSA can be deadly, costly, and may be poised to do even more damage, according to the first study presented in San Francisco.
Dror Marchaim, MD, of Israel's Tel-Aviv Medical Center analyzed 21 studies involving 1,131 MRSA patients and 1,587 patients with drug-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus.
MRSA patients fared worse, across the board, he found.
They were 36% more likely to die, stayed in the hospital seven days longer, and their hospital bill was $7,250 to $11,500 higher, Marchaim says.
Marchaim predicts that if MRSA replaces drug-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, "this will add annually 2,700 cases of death, 210,000 days of hospitalization, and $310 million to hospital expenditures.
"Strategies to better control and treat MRSA are required," Marchaim writes.