Download Safari Books Online apps: Apple iOS | Android

Entire Site

Safari Books Online

    Free Trial

    Safari Books Online is a digital library providing on-demand subscription access to thousands of learning resources.


    • Create BookmarkCreate Bookmark
    • Create Note or TagCreate Note or Tag
    • PrintPrint
    Share this Page URL
    Help

    Direct-Contact Pathogens

    Some pathogens are spread by skin-to-skin contact. In Chapter 1, “Introduction to the Resistance Problem,” we briefly described situations involving S. aureus. Although hospital outbreaks of MRSA have been common since the 1970s, community-associated forms began to emerge only in the late 1990s. Examples involving military recruits and sports teams are consistent with transmission occurring by skin-to-skin contact and sharing personal items (see Box 7-8).

    Box 7-8: Spread of MRSA

    Military recruits at training facilities are at risk for community-associated (CA) MRSA. Between October 2000 and June 2002, a large U.S. military facility recorded 235 cases of CA-MRSA. In November 2002, military authorities implemented a variety of hygienic measures including an emphasis on hand washing and showering. In addition, sharing personal items was prohibited, and antibiotic therapy was instituted to eliminate nasal colonization. The outbreak ended in December 2002. In many of these cases, infections were on arms and legs where skin abrasions were expected from training exercises.168


      

    You are currently reading a PREVIEW of this book.

                                                                                            

    Get instant access to over
    $1 million worth of books and videos.

      

    Start a Free Trial