Missouri stepping up efforts on staph superbug

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The state health department is stepping up efforts to inform schools, child care centers and communities about ways to guard against the staph "superbug."

The germ, which is resistant to some antibiotics, has been in the national spotlight following the death of a Virginia teenager and the release of a government report estimating the infection kills about 19,000 Americans a year and sickens more than 90,000.

Several Missouri schools recently have reported cases of students coming down with the bug, called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

Gov. Matt Blunt said Thursday that he has directed the Department of Health and Senior Services to increase its efforts to spread information about prevention, detection and treatment of the staph strain.

"Panic is not an appropriate response, but caution is," Blunt said.

Eddie Hedrick, the health department's MRSA expert, said there has been an increase in the amount of drug-resistant staph infections. But the health department does not track the precise number of such cases statewide. Health officials said it would be too difficult to do so, because sicknesses can often get misdiagnosed as the superbug.

To guard against getting staph infections, health officials recommend people regularly wash their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and shower immediately after exercising.

Other preventative steps include placing bandages over cuts; not sharing towels, razors or other personal items that come in contact with skin; and regularly cleaning surfaces that come in contact with skin, such as weight-lifting benches.

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On the Net:

Health Department: http://www.dhss.mo.gov