In a message dated 11.1.04 3:37:13 PM, [log in to unmask] writes:


> 'Superbug' Can Be Passed on in Breast Milk
> Health - Reuters
> By Megan Rauscher
> Nov. 01, 2004
> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - "Breast milk has been identified as the source
> of the 'superbug' known as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
> (MRSA) In two outbreaks among newborns in Los Angeles. Dr. Dawn M Terashita,
> of the LA County Health Department described the cases in Washington DC at a
> meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Infants in the neonatal
> intensive care unit are a "vulnerable population," she told Reuters Health.
> MRSA outbreaks are common in newborn nurseries, and the main way the
> infection is spread is thought to be person-to-person via hand contact...."
> ...
>
Thanks Jodine for passing this along.
I have a particular interest in MRSA because I and my 16yo son were infected
with it last month AND because its presence in breast milk, I believe, will
come up more and more as infections/detection increase.
Before becoming infected with MRSA, I believe that I had been colonized for a
very long time-maybe 5-10 years and that I picked it up in the hospital. Some
estimates give 40% as the numbers of healthcare workers colonized. I suspect
this because both my husband and myself would periodically develop
sores/lesions on our noses.   Last month my 16yo football playing son developed jock
itch. Despite several hundred dollars worth of OTC antifungals and a Mommy
prescibed try with gentian violet (torturous to my son!), the infection became
debilitating. Coincidentally on the day the culture results came back, I developed
a horrendous sore throat, went immediately to my internist (on advice from
the pedi) who "laughed off" the idea of it being MRSA but on my insistence did a
throat and nose culture. His shocked phone call 3 days later revealed
extremely high levels of MRSA in nose and throat, despite his insistence that he had
never seen it in a throat and a course for both of us of bactrim and bactroban
to my son's "rash" and the entire family's noses. Because we were living in 2
rooms for 2 months (awaiting a move), this put us all in much closer contact.
This along with the fungal skin breakdown precipitated the colonization to
become an infection. Fortunately we all improved dramatically and quickly on the
above regime but daily calls from both the pedi and internist assured me of
the seriousness of the matter. I am also suspicious that the dog may be
colonized/infected as he has frequent eye/ear infections.
What does this mean to the to the babies/families I have/will be in contact
with ? I don't know. While I worked at my last job at least 2 newborns from the
normal newborn nursery developed staph infections, was it MRSA and/or was it
from me-i don't know . The fact is large numbers of us are colonized. Does the
fact that I would sometimes develop nose lesions make me a greater risk?
Noone seems to have the answers to these questions. Hospital workers are not
routinely screened for MRSA, subclinical or otherwise.
As for MRSA and breast milk, the fact is that premies   fed MRSA contaminated
breast milk via NG tubes have developed MRSA sepsis and died but the response
to this remains in question. Below is a link to a story from Scotland (i
think) where an almost 6 lb "premie" was isolated from his family d/t MRSA.
www.iomonline.co.uk/ViewArticle2. aspx?SectionID=870&ArticleID=867256

Lynn Shea Rn,Bsn,Ibclc
formerly Franklin, Ma -now Lakewood Ranch, FL

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