St. Charles County Department of Community
Health & The Environment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 22, 2007

CONTACT:

Pieter Sheehan, Environmental Public Health Manager                                                                   636−949−7406
Nancy Duncan, Director, Division of Public Health                                                                            636−949−7407
Cameron Satterfield, Public Information Officer                                                                               636−949−7408

Health Department Keeps Tabs on Drug–Resistant Staph

New Recreational Code is part of battle against "superbug"

St. Charles County, MO - In recent weeks, there has been increased attention on bacteria called methicillin–resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. The organism, which is a mutant strain of "staph," is unaffected by the most common antibiotics used to treat an infection. A 17–year–old boy from Virginia died recently after becoming infected with MRSA, and other cases of MRSA infection have turned up across the country. However, since health care professionals are not required by law to report MRSA, it is not possible to know exactly how many cases have been identified. At this time, there have not been any recent reports of clusters of this disease in St. Charles County.

As public concern about MRSA rises, the Department of Community Health and the Environment would like to remind residents about the importance of good hygiene to prevent disease. Hand washing is the number one way to prevent the spread of germs like staph. Use soap and warm water, and rub hands together for at least 15 seconds, then rinse and dry with a disposable paper towel. If soap and water are not available, an alcohol–based hand sanitizer is a good substitute. Covering open cuts and other skin injuries will also protect against potential contamination by staph or other germs. Proper cleansing and covering of any injury is important.

The new St. Charles County Recreational Code is also a step toward preventing disease. This ordinance, passed by the County Council in August, imposes new sanitation standards on fitness centers and tanning salons to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like MRSA. The code requires surfaces that are likely to be in contact with bare skin to be adequately disinfected on a regular basis. The new ordinance will first apply to facilities in unincorporated St. Charles County.

"The recent cases of drug–resistant staph around the U.S. are the reason we developed the fitness center and tanning salon provisions in the new code," says Pieter Sheehan, environmental public health manager for St. Charles County. "Since we cannot predict where MRSA might be found, and since it can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections, implementing the new recreational facility code is just another way for our department to protect the health and safety of the citizens of St. Charles County by preventing conditions that may allow the spread of disease. As required by the County Charter, we will be working with our municipalities in the coming months to implement the new code in their jurisdictions, allowing us to provide the same oversight in incorporated areas as we now provide in unincorporated St. Charles County."

For more information about the St. Charles County Department of Community Health and the Environment, call (636) 949-7400 or visit www.scchealth.org.

[GO BACK]