Feature - Main Story

The MRSA Mystery (11/30/07)

The spread of MRSA and staph infections leaves many wishing for ways
to prevent the disease and locate the origins of the infection

Story by Joumana Khatib, '09

Imagine returning home from summer camp—tan deepened, new friendships forged. You have fond memories of your experiences, except for one part: your poison ivy rash.

Though poison ivy rashes are common, this rash refuses to heal. You go to the doctor and he concludes that because your skin was raw from the rash, you developed a staph infection.

Despite your trials with the infection, you were fortunate to have avoided developing methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA)—a more lethal relative of the common staph infection. Though staph infections are most commonly contracted within hospitals, two different strains of MRSA exist: hospital acquired (HA-MRSA) and community acquired (CA-MRSA).

UAHS nurse Laurie Long said the origins of CA-MRSA are still unknown.

“We don’t really know where CA-MRSA came from,” Long said. “We can guess that it began with someone with HA-MRSA spreading it to someone within the community and the spread of infection continued from there, but nothing is certain.”

After news of cases of CA-MRSA reached the media, the concern regarding the infection spread; they developed the name “Superbug” to describe the infection, which has added to the fear, Long said.

“I think people need to be aware of the disease, but that doesn’t necessarily mean being scared of it,” Long said. “The media has definitely contributed to the panic.”

Columbus Health Department spokesperson Kristopher Weiss said the first reported case of HA-MRSA was in 2002 and the first case of CA-MRSA was reported in 2003.

MRSA is unlike its relatives in that it is resistant to common medications such as penicillin, which makes it a much stronger infection, Long said.

Public facilities such as gyms, sports centers and dormitories are most susceptible to containing to the disease because of the shared equipment, Long said.

According to the Mayo Clinic website,a non-profit organization dedicated to the “diagnosis and treatment of virtually every type of complex illness,” staph bacteria are relatively common and found on approximately one-third of the population.

“If you have staph on your skin or in your nose but you aren’t sick, you are said to be ‘colonized’ but not infected with MRSA. Healthy people can be colonized with MRSA and have no ill effects; however, they can pass the germ to others,” the Mayo Clinic said.

MRSA develops only after direct contact with someone or an object contaminated with the infection, Weiss said.

“If someone touches the skin or something else that has the bacteria on it, they can develop the infection,” Weiss said.

A preliminary symptom of infection is the appearance of skin abnormalities—usually abscesses that begin as small red bumps resembling pimples, Long said.

“Most students may think that [the bumps] are just a spider bite, but it actually can be a sign of the infection,”

Though the bacteria may be removed through draining or surgical removal of the abscess, they may also travel throughout the bloodstream and lead to further infection of other areas, such as the bones, joints and blood.

If MRSA enters the body through an open wound, the infection can spread internally. Unbroken skin can also become infected but the infection is less severe, Weiss said.

People at risk for developing CA-MRSA are those who engage in contact sports or share athletic equipment personal items, Long said.

Despite its strength, MRSA can be treated with certain medication, Long said.
“MRSA isn’t resistant to all medication,” Long said. “There are still some drugs that will fight it.”

In order to prevent contracting MRSA, basic rules of hygiene need to be followed, Weiss said.

“Following basic rules of hygiene like covering cuts and broken skin and not sharing personal items like razors and towels will help prevent it,” Weiss said. “But if symptoms exist they should be checked by a physician.”

If these measures are followed, MRSA should not be a major source of concern, Long said.
“MRSA isn’t something students need to be overly worried about,” Long said. “It’s more of a hygiene issue than anything. Doing basic things like washing hands, cleaning and covering wounds help prevent it.”

 

UA goes GREEN (11/30/07)

Story by Lindsay Gardner, '09

On Oct. 31, it is not unusual to see people in costume. Witches, ghosts and superheroes abound. However, this Halloween, students dressed in green to show their support for another important cause––the environment.

During lunch periods on Halloween, students, staff and community members gathered for Solar Celebration, an event created to celebrate the installation of solar panels at UAHS.

Speakers at the celebration included principal Kip Greenhill. During his speech, Greenhill said he felt the school’s efforts were a solid step in making UAHS more environmentally friendly.

According to Paul Craft, the UA Director of Business Services, Paul Craft, the solar panels will account for about two percent of the energy at the high school which has already added up to a savings of $335.

“[Two percent is] not a huge number,” Craft said. “But on the other hand, two percent of a large number is still a pretty good-sized saving.”

Environmental club hosted the Solar Celebration and is also involved in various other activities to make UAHS more environmentally friendly. Senior Eryn Pierce, a member of environmenal club, said the club is participating in various projects.

“We are trying to reduce the amout of energy that is used at UAHS,” Pierce said. “We are trying to put hand dryers in the bathroom to reduce paper waste, increase recycling in the cafeteria, plan a dodgeball tournament [to raise money] and try to organize a river cleanup.”

Other Green Initiatives

Pierce said environmental club members are also attempting to find more creative energy sources for the school through working with Craft and other groups.

“We are trying to find ways to raise money for the installation of a wind turbine,” Pierce said. “The turbine would be a good source of renewable energy, and it would reduce pollution from the school.”

In a town meeting, Craft said the installation of a wind turbine in town is a definite possibility.

“AEP [American Electric Power] has approached us [to consider] putting a wind turbine up [in UA],” Craft said. “[The wind turbine] would fit with the aesthetics of the neighborhood [and] raise awareness and support for the environment.

In another effort to aid the environment, UA residents created Cool UA, a group to encourage UA town officials and residents to adopt energy efficient technology and limit their energy consumption.

Jones Middle School teacher Jim Fronk helped found Cool UA. During a town meeting on environmental issues, he said Cool UA hopes to inspire schools and residents throughout the community to adopt energy-saving technology.

“The goal of Cool UA is to seek ways for our energy needs to be met [locally] while protecting, sustaining and enhancing our human and natural resources,” Fronk said. “We hope to inspire [residents] in [their] own ways and [their] own lives to implement [energy saving ideas].

Fronk said Cool UA is working to reduce the energy usage in the community to save not only energy, but money. Cool UA is a part of an initiative involving over 700 cities nationwide. These cities have dedicated themselves to using more environmentally-friendly technology and conducting research to streamline energy use and cost.

Using Ohio Legislation

According to Craft, the UA schools are currently spending money on energy-reduction technology with the help of House Bill 264 and other state initiatives. House Bill 264 was passed in 1985 and helps encourage energy conservation.

“[The bill] allows districts to work with companies to identify projects that will result in energy savings,” Craft said. “These energy savings are then used to cover the cost of the projects through low-interest loans.”

This bill was used in UA to pay for a number of improvements in the schools’ systems of energy consumption. Craft said the improvements made under the bill also save taxpayers’ money while conserving energy.

“[The energy-conservation technology] can be beneficial to our taxpayers in that it can result in real dollar savings,” Craft said. “Other advantages include a reduction in our environmental footprint and improvements in the quality of life for our students and staff.”

According to Craft, energy reductions have been enacted in various areas. School buses use biodiesel fuel, and fluorescent lights are used in some of the school buildings.

Fronk said that Cool UA and the work on energy conservation in the community is a good start.

“Our institutions have really started this initiative [of energy conservation],” Fronk said. “The idea now is to grow it as quickly and grandly as we can.”

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