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Staph skin infection spreading la jail Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/5692945.htm http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/5692945.htm Local News Posted on Tue, Apr. 22, 2003 Staph skin infection spreading in LA County jail Associated Press LOS ANGELES -A drug-resistant bacteria continues to infect county jail inmates, spreading a non-deadly staphylococcus skin infection to 325 people so far this year, with 125 infections reported just last month. A report was made Tuesday to county supervisors by public health staff. The Sheriff's Department runs seven jail facilities countywide with more than 26,000 inmates, the majority of them men. The department needs to "more aggressively" follow guidelines recommended by the Department of Health Services to curtail methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. "The bottom line is that the situation since August is not getting better," said county public health director Jonathan Fielding. Last year, Fielding said, 920 county inmates were infected with the drug-resistant staph infection. The staph bacteria commonly is found on human skin. Staph skin infections often begin with an injury to the skin, like a cut, and cause redness, swelling, boils or blisters. The bacteria grow in warm, moist places and are passed on through skin-to-skin contact or contact with shared items including towels, clothes, benches and sports equipment. Minor infections include pimples and boils. Serious infections include pneumonia and surgical wounds that do not heal properly. Staph infections are treated by antibiotics or draining the wounds. The best way to prevent infection is frequent washing of the hands with soap and warm water, and cleaning shared items such as toilets. Shared sheets and clothing should be washed in hot water and bleach and dried in a hot dryer rather than through air drying so that bacteria are killed. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich asked sheriff's Chief Charles Jackson on Tuesday if jails require inmates to take showers. It's the same question he asked when a report about the infection was made in February. "We cannot force an inmate to take a shower," Jackson replied. "We can send them, we can turn the shower on. We cannot force them to shower." Jackson said jails are screening new inmates for the infection and infected inmates change clothing daily and their bedding is changed weekly. Public health officials also suggested the Sheriff's Department hire an epidemiologist and nurses to combat the infection. They could also use an anti-bacterial soap, Chlorhexidine, which costs about $33 per gallon. In a related development, an Antonovich aide said a deputy who works at the Men's Central Jail reported to Antonovich that his newborn was infected with staph bacteria and had to be hospitalized. Dr. Elizabeth Bancroft, an epidemiologist with the county Department of Health Services' acute communicable disease control unit, said doctors will be instructed to report any hospitalizations of minors due to the drug-resistant staph infection as part of a May 5 to Nov. 7 epidemiological study. "We want to see what the patterns of transmission are in the community, if there are connections to the jail outbreak," she said. Bancroft added that there was no evidence showing a link between staph-infected hospitalized children under 18 and the jail outbreak. --- On the Net: http://lapublichealth.org/acd/MRSA.htm

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