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Antibiotic Overuse Threatens Public Health

Diseases caused by "superbugs" that have grown resistant to antibiotics pose an enormous threat to public health, experts say. Dominique Monnet of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) states that if this wave of antibiotic resistance continues unimpeded, doctors will not be able to perform medical treatments such as organ transplants, hip replacements, cancer chemotherapy, intensive care and neonatal care for premature babies. Antibiotics are needed to prevent infection in these treatments but bacteria like MRSA are killing about 25, 000 people a year in Europe and approximately 19,000 people a year in the United States. On top of the risks to future treatments, Monnet said the costs of antibiotic resistance are already hurting — and may hit healthcare budgets across the European Union yet harder if the problem is not addressed. The ECDC estimates that superbug infections cost around 900 million euros a year in extra hospital costs, and a further 600 million euros a year in lost productivity. Sarah Earnshaw of the ECDC states that doctors often fold under patient pressure to prescribe antibiotics for viruses or colds, even though antibiotics do not work against viruses like flu and colds. This overuse of antibiotics is creating the pandemic of superbugs. To read more about this issue, please click here.

Important Recommendations from USA Hockey Regarding H1N1 Flu

On Thursday, October 29, 2009, USA Hockey issued the following release to all of its administrators and coaches. Please note that Super Clean is an important part of USA Hockey's recommended plan to reduce the likelihood of contracting the infection.

"We've worked with our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael Stuart, to provide you with pertinent information regarding the H1N1 virus, including recommendations to reduce the likelihood of spreading the infection. Specifically, USA Hockey recommends:

- Provide individual water bottles for players; do not share water bottles
- Regularly wash hands
- Clean workout gear for each practice/competition
- Keep gloves on during the traditional handshake with opponents

You should be aware that symptoms of the virus include: fever (102 degrees fahrenheit or greater), cough, muscle aches, runny nose, headache or sore threat, with the potential for more serious complications, including pneumonia.

Those affected by the H1N1 virus typically have been children and young adults.

Transmission of the virus may occur from the day before the onset of symptoms and during the five to seven days that the symptoms are present. Infected individuals should stay home until signs and symptoms have resolved, with no fever present for at least 24 hours. The 24-hour no-fever timeline should be achieved naturally, without the aid of fever reducing medications.
Additional information regarding H1N1 is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by visiting www.cdc.gov/H1N1Flu/.

Best wishes for a successful season.

October is World MRSA Awareness Month

Did you know that October 1st was World MRSA Day and that the month of October is World MRSA Awareness Month? Neither did we until we read about it on the internet, but evidently - and rightfully so - activists are rallying to increase awareness about this dangerous epidemic that is sweeping the nation and the globe. A Chicago-based non-profit organization, called the MRSA Survivors Network, launched the event on October 1, 2009 at Loyola University Chicago. MRSA activists, medical professionals, victim family members, and legislators converged on the city and shared their knowledge and their ideas on how to proactively attack the epidemic in order to save lives. To read more about the event, click here. Super Clean is doing its part to prevent the MRSA epidemic from affecting its clients; Super Clean's two cleaning processes kill the bacteria that causes staph and MRSA infections.

Staph and MRSA Germs Found in Ocean off West Coast

Scientists are alarmed that tests performed in the waters off the West Coast have found staph and MRSA bacteria. Such germs can cause serious illness to those that swim and surf in the ocean. Marilyn Roberts, a microbiologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, presented the results of such study at an American Society for Microbiology conference in California on Saturday, September 12, 2009. At the conference, Roberts stated that the "fact that we found these organisms suggests that the level is much higher than we had thought." The study comes on the heels of tests performed at a South Florida beach earlier this year that also found staph and MRSA bacteria in the ocean. To learn more about these studies, please click here. Please note that Super Clean service kills staph and MRSA bacteria lurking on wetsuits and can protect you from contracting an infection from swimming/surfing in infected waters.

Swine Flu More Dangerous Than Originally Believed

A detailed study of the Swine Flu, or H1N1 virus, shows that the pathogen is more dangerous than originally thought. The study, conducted by an international team of researchers led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, proves that the virus is different than seasonal influenza due to its ability to penetrate and infect deeper into the lungs. This characteristic makes the Swine Flu especially potent and a huge threat similar to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. To protect yourself from the H1N1 virus, bring your items into Super Clean for a thorough cleaning. Super Clean's processes are proven to remove 99.99% of all pathogens living on your sports gear and/or soft good items. Now that the school year has begun, do not rely on school's to protect your children's health. Rely on yourself and Super Clean. To read more about the Swine Flu research, please click here.

Surfer's Miraculous Recovery From Staph Infection in Brain

Timmy Turner, if he were like most people, was not supposed to survive. After contracting a severe staph infection, most likely while swimming in the ocean off of Southern California to rehab from a surfing injury, Timmy suffered a coma for several weeks. The staph infection had traveled into Timmy's brain and the doctors' prognosis was grim. Knowing Timmy's relentless personality, his wife refused to give up hope and convinced the doctors to perform delicate brain surgery, praying for the best. For the rest of this amazing and inspirational story, please click here.

Labels: MRSA, staph_infection, surfing

Study May Shed Light on Potential Treatments for Staph Infections

A recent study conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center focused on what occurs to a person's immune system during a severe staph infection. By focusing on a snapshot in time during severe infection, researchers hope such information will help them formulate more effective treatments for staph infections, including MRSA, in the future. The study revealed what genes turn on and off in a person's immune system. The research team plans to study other conditions surrounding the periods before, during and after infection and how different staph-infection therapies affect treatment. To read more about the findings, published in the online journal PLoS One, please click here or visit the news release dated July 14, 2009 in Health Day.

MRSA Infects House of Representatives Staffer

A House of Representatives staff member was infected by the deadly strain of staph, called MRSA, in April 2009. The House employee is also a member of the House Staff Fitness Center (HSFC), where many of our nation's top brass go to workout. In an e-mail sent to House employees by Kathy Zumbar, the House gym’s wellness and fitness coordinator, the infected employee will stay away from the gym until the condition has healed completely and the gym has been thoroughly disinfected. To read more, please click here.