College student dies of rare Superbug
Pastor Dale Morgan
College student dies of rare Superbug
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MRSA pneumonia case brings warning
By CHERIE BLACK
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
A college student in Whatcom County died this week from a rare case of
MRSA pneumonia -- prompting health officials to urge state residents to
be vigilant about their health and to get a flu shot if they haven't.
Chris Feden, 20, a student at Western Washington University, died
Wednesday from what county health officials said was MRSA pneumonia, a
rare staph infection that he may have contracted after getting the flu.
Separately, an 18-year old Pacific County resident died last week from
respiratory failure, which wasn't caused by MRSA pneumonia, although it
was believed to have been flu-related.
Respiratory illnesses, including the flu, typically peak in Washington
in February and March and can be serious and even fatal. Cases of MRSA
-- methicillin-resistant staph aureus -- are increasing in number
nationwide, including in Washington, and can complicate influenza and
other respiratory illnesses.
MRSA pneumonia, a relatively new infection that wasn't on national
health officials' radar until about five years ago, is rare, but it may
also be on the increase, health officials say.
MRSA infections have been common in health care settings for decades,
and in recent years have spread into the community at large,
particularly in relatively crowded facilities.
Although MRSA can be deadly, the infection itself is relatively common,
and most people show no symptoms. The bacteria can be living in the nose
and not cause problems.
But if an infected person catches the flu or other severe respiratory
illness that becomes pneumonia, the lungs are weakened and people can
infect themselves by inhaling the MRSA they already carry.
MRSA pneumonia first gained attention during the 2003-04 influenza
season, when 15 cases linked to the flu were diagnosed across the
country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from April 2007. No formal
surveillance was conducted, and few additional cases of MRSA pneumonia
were reported to the CDC between the 2004 and 2006 flu seasons.
Between December 2006 and January 2007, there were 10 reported cases of
severe MRSA pneumonia, including six deaths, in previously healthy
children and adults in Louisiana and Georgia.
No statistics are kept for MRSA pneumonia in Washington, the state
Health Department said.
"It's a combination of a community-acquired infection and flu season,"
said the state's health officer, Dr. Maxine Hayes. "It can cause
catastrophic events, which is what happened to this young man," she
said, referring to Feden. "Influenza is serious, and sometimes people
think it's just a bad cold, but here we have a staph infection
superimposed to that."
"Now we have MRSA and now we have more complications, and it's a killer."
Hospitals can test for MRSA through a nasal swab culture or a culture
from a wound, which yields results in an hour or a few days, depending
on which test is used.
Though MRSA is contagious through human contact, local public health
authorities said the risk of MRSA infection to members of the Western
Washington campus is very low.
"While this is a tragic loss of a young life, and our thoughts are with
the family and friends of this young man, there is no evidence of an
outbreak of severe MRSA in our community. This appears to be an unusual
and random event," said Dr. Greg Stern, the health officer for Whatcom
County.
The state Health Department is providing support to health officials in
Whatcom and Pacific counties while they investigate the deaths. Health
Secretary Mary Selecky said people should be aware that are in the
middle of flu season, and while it has been an average one in Washington
so far, getting a flu shot is still recommended, and it's not too late.
As for MRSA, simple steps such as covering coughs, washing hands and
alerting a physician if there is a history of MRSA infections help
reduce infection, she said.
"MRSA pneumonia is uncommon in this country, but we're still in flu
season, and it can lead to pneumonia."
Feden's death, she said, "is an unfortunate reminder of the seriousness
of the disease."
WHAT IS MRSA PNEUMONIA?
Methicillin-resistant staph aureus pneumonia is a relatively new and
rare infection described as pneumonia with complications of MRSA, which
is a common bacterium resistant to antibiotics.
ABOUT MRSA PNEUMONIA
How do you get it? A victim already has a MRSA infection, which may or
may not make him sick. The victim then gets influenza or another severe
respiratory illness that turns into pneumonia. The MRSA infection
spreads to the weakened lungs, resulting in MRSA pneumonia.
How is it spread? MRSA is commonly spread by direct human contact.
Although flu can spread from a sufferer, MRSA pneumonia is not an
airborne disease and is not contagious.
How common is it? MRSA pneumonia is relatively new, and there are no
statistics in Washington and no formal U.S. surveillance. Nationwide,
there were 15 cases during the 2003-2004 flu season and 10 cases,
including six deaths, between December 2006 and January 2007 in
Louisiana and Georgia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
How deadly is it? MRSA pneumonia often affects young, otherwise healthy
people and can be fatal. The patients who died did so within three to
five days of the onset of respiratory symptoms. MRSA should be suspected
in people with severe pneumonia, especially during the influenza season,
and in those with a history of MRSA infection, according to the CDC.
MORE ONLINE
For more information about MRSA, visit the state Health Department's Web
site at goto.seattlepi.com/r1087 or the Western Washington University
MRSA information page at www.wwu.edu/mrsa.