FLORIDA AIDS ACTION
PO Box 16705 Tampa FL 33687
813-232-5886/813-232-0857 fax

For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Mary Ann T. Green, 813-974-4892/Mgreen@floridaaidsaction.org

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT

Tampa, FL - Florida AIDS Action (FLAA) is alerting communities throughout Florida about a drug resistant skin infection now being seen in wider populations throughout the nation.

To some in HIV/AIDS, the infection is reminiscent of the "new cancer" affecting gay men in the late 1980s as the bacteria manifests as abscesses and boils on various parts of the body. However, the infection is not HIV specific and is actually a form of staphylococcus (staph) infection known as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). MRSA is, nonetheless, troublesome because it is highly resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics.

As late as the 1990s, MRSA was regularly confined to persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities, especially persons with open wounds, with more risk associated for those on long-term antibiotic therapy. Since 1997, the infection has been increasingly seen among non-hospitalized populations such as "players of close contact sports," incarcerated individuals, drug users, as well as among Native Americans and, abroad, Aboriginals.

The bacterial infection now is spreading across the nation infecting wider populations, including gay men and drug users sharing spoons, straws and other devices to inhale drugs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), staph "are bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people" where they typically do not cause infection. When staph does cause infection, it's usually mild and treated easily without antibiotics. However, more serious cases can require the use of antibiotics related to penicillin. Within the last 50 years, staph has become increasingly resistant to antibiotics - this type of infection is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus.

"Letting our communities know about this infection is vitally important," notes FLAA Executive Director Dr. Gene Copello.

Despite, or perhaps in light of, the fact that staph infections are among the most common skin infections in the United States, and commonly cause pneumonia and blood stream infections, staph and MRSA infections are not routinely reported. However, according to the CDC, the organization is working with state health departments to assist in the development of surveillance systems for tracking MRSA in the community.
The CDC's offers the following guidelines for preventing the transmission of MRSA:
· Regular hand washing with soap and water
· Keeping cuts and abrasions covered until healed
· Using moisturizer on dry skin to prevent cracking
· Avoiding contact with other peoples wounds or materials from their wounds

"Individuals across Florida, including healthcare providers, need to be aware of the risks and how to prevent transmission because combating a staph infection highly resistant to antibiotics may require hospitalization to treat. If not treated properly, the infection can lead to life-threatening complications, especially for those whose immune systems are already comprised by HIV infection," notes Florida AIDS Action Volunteer JoAnn C. Green, RN, MSN, CCRN. "Consider this a health advisory - a warning sign and a plea to public health officials to begin tracking MRSA."

To learn more about AIDS advocacy work, please contact Florida AIDS Action at 813-232-5886, or via email at: information@floridaaidsaction.org
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Florida AIDS Action, the only statewide 501(c)(3) HIV/AIDS agency in Florida, promotes social change through community planning, education, public policy research and advocacy. For more information, call 813-232-5886, or visit us on the web at www.floridaaidsaction.org