nemesis-
I am sorry for your lost.
How were they able to determine that your relative caught it while in the hospital?

When you are admitted to the hospital you are swabbed for MRSA. If you are positive anywhere, even if it is not an active infection, you will be placed in an isolation room. It is a precautionary measure.

At what point do the doctors take responsibility for over-prescribing antibiotics?

Don't underestimate MRSA.
I had a close relative die from it. And what's worse the relative caught it while staying in a hospital.

This is probably being brought up because someone has it...It is seen in high school/college/pro athletes all the time.

'tis the season... this is old news, but they always post it around this time of year...

The U.S. is obsessed with anti-bacterial everything...this is a big part of the problem. Plain soap and water is just as effective when washing your hands. Try the Method brand at Target...it's great and earth friendly...not loaded with chemicals! :-)

Not everyone has MRSA. The schools should focus on this as well as Norovirus, VRE, influenza and other illnessess serious illnesses. Teachers are instructed to downplay symptomologies in their students to prevent panic. Education and information are key. For example there was a massive Noro outbreak in a local school last year, and no one except the health department recognized the risk. Children should have been sent home to stay, but they let the children continue to stay at school even after they were shedding the virus. Back to MRSA, the best way to prevent the spread of any disease is to teach your kids. #1 wash your hands with soap and water, alcohol hand sanitizers are only a stop gap measure. #2 keep your hands out of your mouth #3 stay away from sick kids #4 cover your cough, but not with your hands #5 wash your hands with soap and water again and again and again...

A college basketball player recently was infected with the MRSA virus and ended up having part of his foot amputated in order to rid his body of the infection. This is extremely serious stuff.

Never make light of hospital staph.

Lysol® brand disinfectant - Disinfect to Protect™

Keep your hands washed and don't put your fingers in your nose or mouth or eyes.

MRSA is present in about 75% of the population in the nares of the nose, without causing an active infection. It is when it becomes an active infection and spreads to areas such as the blood stream or the lungs that it is potentially dangerous.
Please do not use antibiotics unless you absolutely need them! New research shows that the majority of ear infections are caused by a virus, therefore antibiotics are worthless. In addition, if they are bacterial in nature, ear infections tend to clear up on their own without antibiotic use.
MRSA is still treatable with Vancomycin, but VRSA is deadly..we need to be careful with antibiotic use (AND antibacterial soap!) so that we do not have more strains of mutant bacteria that is resistant to all antibiotics!

Typical for the Janesville School District. Other area districts have been warning of the dangers of this infection for at least the last 2 to 3 years. Way to be cutting edge JSD!

considering everyone has MRSA I think they are wasting lots of time!

OK