Swine-Flu Increases Risk of Death from MRSA

The MRSA Medical Newsletter for September 2009.

Swine-Flu Increases Risk of Death from MRSA…

The combination of H1N1 swine flu and antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria could lead to a deadly form of pneumonia that kills half the people it infects within three days, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Researchers analyzed two patients who had experienced bacterial pneumonia that led to blood poisoning, concluding that the culprit was community acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), the form of MRSA that occurs outside of health care settings like hospitals and nursing homes.

"The threat from CA-MRSA in the USA is very serious concern, especially if there is a flu epidemic as this could trigger a large number of cases of necrotizing pneumonia, which has a mortality rate of more than 50 percent in 72 hours," said Richard James, of the University of Nottingham.

MRSA is already a highly lethal bacterium, because its resistance to first-line antibiotics makes it more likely to cause complications such as blood or organ infections, boils or even skin necrosis. The bacterium kills more people each year in the United States than AIDS.

CA-MRSA cases are sharply on the rise, with more and more cases being reported in settings gyms, schools and prisons.

"The concern is that this may be the start of an exponential increase as we saw with hospital MRSA infections in the 1990s," James said. "It took the UK 13 years to get to grips with hospital-acquired MRSA infections; we are not equipped to deal with large numbers of CA-MRSA infections in the community."

CA-MRSA appears to be particularly likely to cause pneumonia when it infects people who are recovering from a flu infection.

"Bacterial pneumonia following influenza can be very serious and in some cases fatal," said MRSA expert Mark Enright, of Imperial College London. "CA-MRSA pneumonia is particularly dangerous due to the rapid, aggressive nature of the infection and the difficulty in providing effective chemotherapy. The emergence of pandemic influenza and increased prevalence of CA-MRSA in many countries may cause increased morbidity and mortality in infected individuals."

Michael’s Footnote: This is of course true. While we advocate taking the New Silver Solution as a preventative against all kinds of bacterial infections, Swine-Flu itself, is a virus. The reason why we advocate use of the solution against H1N1 is because of the secondary infections which it can cause. It is the secondary infections that cause the majority of deaths, rather than the Swine-Flu itself. In reality, this is no different to the misleading information given to many relatives about the causation of death in many hospitals. It is never the MRSA that killed them; it was the secondary infection of pneumonia, etc: To clear up the MRSA, they had given antibiotics and that had reduced immune system function required to combat infection. That, combined with an operation recovery which the immune system was already trying to cope with, overloads the system and leaves the patient open to simple infections that now become life-threatening. The patient now has the same outlook as someone suffering from AIDS. No defense.

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Michael’s Medical Humor:

Four nurses all decided to play a joke on the doctor they worked for, whom they all felt was an arrogant jerk.

Later in the day, they all got together on break and discussed what they had done to the doctor.

The first nurse said, "I stuffed cotton in his stethoscope so he couldn't hear."

The second nurse said, "I let the mercury out of his thermometers and painted them all to read 106 degrees."

The third nurse said, "Well, I did worse than that. I poked holes in all of the condoms that he keeps in his desk drawer."

The fourth nurse fainted.

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The Truth about Pork and MRSA…

In October, 2008, an investigation by KOMO-TV in Seattle, in partnership with Fisher Broadcasting stations across the region, found the super bug, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), in 3 packages of ground pork bought at grocery stores in California, Oregon and Idaho. They purchased a total of 97 packages of ground pork and pork cutlets and sent them to a USDA certified lab in Seattle for testing. This investigation was undertaken after one local young man died of MRSA pneumonia and another lost a leg to MRSA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has resisted testing pork for MRSA according to KOMO. Although the findings are ominous there is no way to know if these 2 young men contracted MRSA from raw pork. This multi-drug resistant bacterium already kills more people in the US than AIDS. MRSA was once a problem only in institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes, but it is now increasingly diagnosed as "community acquired" meaning the patient was infected out in the community, not in an institution. MRSA is a multi-drug resistant superbug. Infections are extremely difficult to eradicate and MRSA pneumonia and sepsis have close to a 50% fatality rate.

"It all starts with just one bacterium which you cannot see with your naked eyes," said Dr. Mansour Samadpour, an expert bacterial microbiologist with IEH Laboratories where the testing was conducted. The USDA refuses to conduct testing although pigs are known to carry MRSA and a particularly virulent strain was discovered in pigs during a study conducted by the University of Iowa. "MRSA is a very different kind of bacteria," said Dr. Rebecca Goldburg, a biologist with Keep Antibiotics Working.
"As far as I’m concerned, the USDA and FDA are kind of asleep at the wheel on this one."

Canada and several European countries already test for MRSA in pork in grocery stores. KOMO investigators contacted the USDA with their findings and were informed again that there are no plans for testing. Both the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration were also contacted with the results. The FDA says they have started a small pilot study of raw meat in Washington, D.C., but they don’t have any results yet and don’t know when the study will be finished. This is something that can be screened for to keep the public protected. Is this not the purpose of the USDA, CDC and the FDA?

The National Pork Board just began testing pork in retail markets. Their study won’t be finished until around April 2009, (nothing heard yet and it is now September) but their preliminary results are similar to KOMO`s: about a three percent positive rate for MRSA. The Pork Board said MRSA is a priority, but they don’t know if it’s a risk to you. Although all these studies have indicated MRSA in the pork, the tests are so sensitive that there is no way of quantifying just how contaminated the meat is, whether it is teeming with MRSA or just has a few. However, remember, it just takes one to cause an infection.

Although most people believe that cooking meat well eliminates any chance of infection, this is untrue for MRSA because it can cause skin infections, unlike E-coli or salmonella. A person can become colonized or infected simply by touching an object contaminated with MRSA. Touching your nose or having an abrasion on your hands while preparing raw pork could potentially lead to colonization or outright infection. Colonization means the bacterium is present, but not causing any problems. Colonization of the nose and skin greatly increases your risk of an actual MRSA infection. MRSA infections range from hard to heal boils to life threatening pneumonia, sepsis (bacteria in the blood) and joint infections.

Canada has also reported contamination of ground pork and pork chops across the country. Just under 10% of ground pork and pork chops tested positive for MRSA, while there was no contamination of pork roasts. Canada began researching contamination of pork with MRSA after discovering MRSA in pigs in Ontario. Dr. Scott Weese, a veterinarian based at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, is investigating the cause of the dramatic increase in community acquired MRSA in Canada. He stated: "My main concern is: if there’s MRSA on the surface of a pork chop and someone’s handling it and then they touch their nose, could they transmit it from the pork chop to their nose?" Although the investigators found nearly 10% of pork contaminated, he says that it is too soon to draw conclusions as to its role in the increase in community MRSA infections.

The Netherlands found MRSA in raw chicken in 2005 so the problem may not be limited to pork. Should you choose to continue to purchase pork, especially ground pork, make sure you use all safe food-handling practices such as defrosting in the refrigerator, not leaving raw meat at room temperature and washing your hands well with hot soapy water after handling. Besides the usual precautions, do not handle raw pork at all if you have cuts or abrasions on your hands. Always wear gloves when handling raw pork as tiny abrasions, especially around fingernails often go unnoticed. Buy range-fed meat from local farmers and avoid grocery store meat whenever possible.

Michael’s Footnote: I love pork! I love bacon! But before cooking it these days, I soak the raw pork in water, infused with New Silver Solution. Just a 5 minute soak is enough to kill all the MRSA bacterium that may be present and makes handling the raw meat perfectly safe. I also spray my hands with the solution before opening the package. I do the same with raw chicken and all other raw meat products.

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Michael’s Medical Humor:

"I'm so worried," the nervous patient said as the nurse plumped up his pillows.

"Last week, I read about a man who was in the hospital because of heart trouble and he died of MRSA."

"Relax" the nurse said, smiling.

"This is a first-rate hospital. When we treat someone for heart trouble, he dies of heart trouble."

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Go Compare…

Let’s face facts; there has been a vast increase in cases of MRSA over the last few years. Especially CAMRSA which is the community acquired variety of MRSA. Reports have indicated that this pathogen can now be found in soil, plants, bathing water along certain coasts and now, even in the food that we eat and handle. Pets are getting infected and colonized and even visitors to hospitals have to be very cautious about hygiene while visiting.

I stated years ago, that MRSA would become one of the most deadly pathogens on the planet within a few years. The evolution of this bacteria has already placed it ahead of modern science and antibiotics. The inherent ignorance of how to treat this bacteria, because of greed, is leading America and a lot of other nations, into a fight that they may not win. Of course people have vested interests, but is that a reason to put people’s lives at risk?

What is the point in retailing contaminated meat, discharging sewage and other effluents near bathing areas, training doctors to believe that only antibiotics can kill MRSA safely?

It is only a matter of time before people stop buying meat products, stop bathing in coastal resorts and are too afraid to visit their doctor or hospital. This is already starting… People are already more afraid of contracting MRSA in hospital, than the operation they have scheduled. People are starting to think twice about purchasing meat products. Many Mothers won’t let their kids swim at the beach… Not enough yet to alert the media, but it’s coming!

Many people are now looking for alternative medicines, rather than risk taking antibiotics. I have treated many people very successfully over the past 4 years and many of them have parted with thousands of dollars, only to become more sick and depressed.

Intravenously administered Vancomycin for 30 days – End result – Patient developed VRSA – Treatment Cost -$46,000

Bactrim, Oxacillin, then Zyvox – End Result - Oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA) – Zyvox had no effect at $1,400 per injection x 4 = $5,600

The above do not include previous treatment costs.

There are many more that I could list, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 but I thought these were the most interesting. Considering that before treatment commenced, cultures had been taken which had shown susceptibility to the antibiotics of choice. This just enforces the facts I have already stated in previous newsletters about the evolution of Staphylococcus aureus and its devious nature in giving false positives during testing.

Both the above cases were free from further antibiotic treatment for at least 21 days prior to treatment with New Silver Solution and both were completely resolved within 28 days at a cost of less than $250, which included the preventative dosages recommended after treatment. Go Compare…

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Michael’s Medical Humor:

In Ireland there is a mental institution that every year picks two of it’s most reformed patients and questions them. If they get the questions right they are free to leave.
This year the two lucky gents were Patty and Mike. They were called down to the office and left there by the orderly. They were told to wait as the doctor got their files. The doctor came out and motioned for Patty to come in for his questioning. When Patty came into the office he was instructed to sit in the seat across from the doctor.

"Patty you know the tradition of this institution so I imagine you know why you are here. You will be asked two questions, and if you get them right, you will be free to go. Do you understand all that you have been told?" said the doctor with a rather sly grin.

Patty nodded and the doctor began to question him. The first question was this. "Patty if I was to poke out one of your eyes what would happen?"

"I would be half blind of course," Patty answered without much thought.

"What would happen if I poked out the other eye?"

"I would be completely blind," said Patty knowing that he had just gotten his freedom. The doctor then sent him outside while he drew up the paperwork and accessed Mike’s files.

When Patty got into the waiting room however, he told Mike what the questions would be and what the correct answers were.

The doctor calls in Mike and he followed the same procedure that he had with Patty. "Mike the first question is what would happen if I cut off your ear?"

"I would be blind in one eye," he said remembering what he had been told. This received a perplexed look from the doctor but he just simply asks the other question so that he could figure out what the man was thinking. "Mike, what would happen if I cut off your other ear?"

"I would be completely blind," he answered with a smile as if he knew he had passed.

But then the doctor asked him what his reasoning was, and he said flatly, "Me hat would fall down over me eyes."

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That’s all for this month folks. Hope you enjoyed reading the newsletter and if there’s anything you want or need, please just let me know.

e-mail: Michael@mrsamedical.com

Warmest Regards,

Michael

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