Staph is local concern

By Nilanjana Saha
Associate Editor of Content

Katie Sandberg '10 didn't really worry about the small scab that she had from snowboarding. Not until 10 days later anyway, when it had become so swollen and painful on her leg that she could barely stand up.

When she went to the emergency room, they diagnosed it as cellulitis, a relatively minor staph infection, gave her medicine and sent her home. But what came next was even worse. Not only did she suffer allergic reactions to the prescribed antibiotics but also had toxic shock syndrome (TSS) as a side-effect, which landed her in emergency surgery.

"They had to cut out a six-cm by six-cm by one-cm deep wound in my leg in order to remove the infection," Sandberg said.

A common culprit of most skin infections, staph bacteria colonizes on the skin surface of approximately 25-30 percent of healthy adults, according to cdc.gov. Health problems arise when the bacteria enters the body through a wound or puncture in the skin.

Common symptoms of staph include pimples, boils or scabs, folliculitis (infection of hair follicles), impetigo (a blister or pimple that affects the face or hands) or sties.

While most staph infections are treatable with antibiotics, some such as the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are resistant to many common antibiotics.

Apart from blood stream and urinary tract infections, MRSA can also cause pneumonia and TSS and be deadly if not treated properly.

Sandberg's recovery was nearly as painful as her initial symptoms. "In the beginning, I had to be heavily medicated with morphine and oxytocin to even tolerate the pain this caused," Sandberg said.

She had to remain in the hospital for eight days after the surgery and work with a physical therapist to regain strength. "It took six months for my leg to fully heal from the staph infection. I know I have a fairly large scar from it," Sandberg said.

Unfortunately, Sandberg's case is not an isolated one.

Staph infections, especially MRSA have been reported frequently in health care facilities, jails and recently in schools and universities. In September, the Danville High School football team experienced an outbreak of staph infections. Among the 20 corrections officers in Alleghany county jail that contracted the disease, half of them had a serious case of MRSA, the Daily Item reported.

West Virginia State University reported four MRSA outbreaks in October and Saginaw State Valley University in Michigan confirmed seven cases of MRSA this month, according to Staphnews.com. Many public schools around the nation, including Illinois and New Jersey, have also been affected by recent staph outbreaks.

Since staph spreads through skin-to-skin contact and infections are more prevalent among athletes or college students that live in close proximity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site recommends keeping wounds covered and not sharing items such as towels or razors.