Public Awareness Campaign

A medical thriller “Outbreak” written by Dr. Robin Cook is popular among the Korean general public. With the influence of such books and movies, people often develop misunderstandings about the characteristics of pathogens: confusing viruses with bacterium, for example. Only a handful of people know about MRSA, but most people probably heard of the term ‘super bacteria’ but when they hear super bacteria, things like Ebola virus: exotic, fatal, incurable disease causing pathogens. But people rarely think about anything that they might ever be infected by in everyday life. We captured the misunderstanding and lack of information on MRSA and its dangers, and decided to launch a public awareness campaign focusing on enlightening people by giving easy and crucial information about MRSA and methods to prevent infections.

Ye Eun Lee, Ji Yong Hong and Young Chan Kim were involved in the public awareness campaign first-hand. We developed pamphlets with short summaries about MRSA, Superbug and simple tips of prevention measures. We visited places where many people gather such as bus terminals and baseball park and schools to inform the public of the dangers of MRSA. Also, we visited a long term care center for the seniors. They live together in the care center, and seniors have weakened immune systems, so they are quite susceptible to MRSA infections. We gave out information about MRSA and prevention actions necessary to prevent infection. We emphasized that simple actions such as regular hand washing can reduce risk of CA-MRSA (community-associated MRSA). We aked the public to perform the following actions on a daily routine.

Regular hand-washing.

Fingernails cut short.

Do not share products such as soaps, lotions, creams and cosmetics with others.

Avoid sharing unwashed towels.

Avoid sharing personal items such as razors, nail files, toothbrushes, combs or hairbrushes.

Introducing MRSA to people

FAQ

What is the difference between virus and bacteria?

Bacteria are unicellular microorganisms typically a few micrometers long. They are included in the category of living organisms. They have all the characteristics of life such as development, reproduction, homeostasis, etc. However, a virus cannot be strictly categorized as a living organism. Although it exhibits some of the characteristics of life such as having genetic materials, it does not show many of the crucial requirements of life such a s growth and development or (independent) reproduction. While bacteria can survive and reproduce on its own, viruses will quickly be wiped out in the absence of host cells. Viruses require host cells in order to reproduce.

What is super bacteria?

Super bacteria generally refer to pathogenic bacterium that are resistant to many of the standard drugs used in hospitals. Having this reistance makes it harder to cure the bacterial infection with medicine. Because of its ability to survive in the presence of these drugs, it is called a super bacteria.

What is MRSA?

MRSA, which stands for methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, is a strain of the bacteria staphylococcus aureus that shows reistance to beta lactam antibiotics. It is quite difficult to cure because of this antibiotic resistance. It can cause a variety of disease from minor skin infections to serious, life threatening disease. Because of the antibiotic resistance and the difficulty in treating it, MRSA is often called a super bacteria.

Who is at risk?

MRSA infections are especially common in hospitals. MRSA is easily transmitted by contact, and without the proper safety procedures, MRSA can easily spread to other patients, caretakers, and doctors. Patients often have weakened immune systems, which makes them an easy target for MRSA, and open wounds, where MRSA can infect the open tissue.

How do people get infected by MRSA ?

The spread of MRSA relies on skin-to-skin contact with an individual who either has MRSA and/or colonized by the bacteria

MRSA has an aptitude to survive for extensive periods on surfaces and objects including door handles, floors, sinks, taps, cleaning equipment and fabric. It is very important to maintain thorough contact control and meticulous disinfection procedures to limit spread of bacteria.

Inappropriate use of antibiotics can cause MRSA to develop antibiotic resistance instead of curing the disease. Inappropriate use of antibiotics is thought to have initiated the development of resistance. Inappropriate use and prescribing includes:

Failing to complete a course of antibiotics as prescribed.

Doses of antibiotics being skipped.

Failure to take antibiotics at regular intervals.

Saving antibiotics for a later date.

Unnecessary prescription of antibiotics.

Improper use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Inappropriate selection and dose duration of antibiotics.

Signs and symptoms of MRSA

MRSA signs and symptoms can vary greatly depending on the situation. Although countless people carry MRSA bacteria in their mucosa (inside the nose), they may never display any symptoms whatsoever. But, MRSA may cause minor skin infections that appear as a bump or sore area of the skin that could be mistaken for an insect bite. The infected area might be red, inflamed, painful, hot to the touch, full of pus or other liquid and accompanied by a fever. MRSA is known to cause more serious problems when it penetrates the bloodstream or deep body tissue. These symptoms include fever, chills, malaise, dizziness, confusion, muscle pains, swelling, chest pains, coughing, breathlessness, headache, rash,etc.

How to avoid infections?

Wash your hands: Careful hand-washing is your best defense against pathogens. Scrub hands briskly for at least 15 seconds, then dry them with a disposable towel and use another towel to turn off the faucet. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer containing at least 62 percent alcohol for times when you don't have access to soap and water.

Keep wounds covered: Keep cuts and abrasions clean and covered with sterile, dry bandages until they heal. Naked wounds could provide MRSA easy access to your body, letting them pass the the body’s first line of defence (the skin) with no problem. Also, if you already carry dormant MRSA, The pus from infected sores may contain MRSA, and keeping wounds covered will help keep the bacteria from spreading.

Keep personal items personal: Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, sheets, razors, clothing and athletic equipment. MRSA spreads on contaminated objects as well as through direct contact.

Shower after athletic games or practices: Shower immediately after each game or practice. Use soap and water. Don't share towels.

Sanitize linens: If you have a cut or sore, wash towels and bed linens in a washing machine set to the hottest water setting (with added bleach, if possible) and dry them in a hot dryer. Wash gym and athletic clothes after each wearing.