MRSA, Antibiotics and Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations (CAFOs): What You Need to Know

July 9, 2008

By Nouf Bazaz

MRSA, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, is caused by the Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria (popularly known as “staph”) and is highly resistive to a number of antibiotics. MRSA typically manifested in the form of HA (health care facility-associated)-MRSA, and targeted those with weaker immune systems and the elderly in hospital settings. However, a new strain of MRSA, CA (community-associated)-MRSA, is making waves by infecting otherwise very healthy populations throughout the community. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a report that MRSA appears to be killing more people annually than AIDS, emphysema or homicide, taking an estimated 19,000 lives in 2005.

CA-MRSA often enters the body through a cut or scrape; it is distinguished primarily by a skin infection that resembles a pimple, boil or spider bite but rapidly evolves into an abscess or pus-filled blister or sore. Consult a doctor immediately and ask to be tested for a staph infection if you have sores that won’t heal or are filled with pus (a yellowish-white fluid that may have a foul smell). The wound may exhibit redness, warmth and tenderness and be accompanied by a fever. By testing specifically for MRSA you can avoid misdiagnosis that often results in more antibiotic resistance if prescribed improper antibiotics. A medical health professional will treat MRSA with a line of antibiotics or if there is a superficial abscess they may drain it. However, do NOT squeeze the sore or try to drain it yourself as it may cause the infection to spread and cause potentially-fatal infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves and lungs.

There are several measures every person should adopt to prevent contracting MRSA:

• Wash your hands consistently and correctly. Scrub hands briskly for at least 15 seconds. Invest in a small bottle of hand sanitizer when soap and water is not readily accessible.
• Avoid sharing personal items. MRSA can spread through contaminated objects so personal items such as towels, sheets, razors, clothing and athletic equipment should not be shared.
• Keep wounds covered. Cuts and abrasions are entry points for MRSA and should be guarded. If already infected with MRSA, do not remove bandages until the healing process has ceased as pus may contain MRSA.
• Shower after athletic games or practices. Warm, moist environments are especially conducive to staph so be particularly careful in health clubs and gyms. Always wipe down fitness equipment before and after use. Shower consistently with soap and water and do not share towels. Athletic clothes should be washed regularly.
• Sit out athletic games or practices if infected. Allow wounds to heal completely before resuming physical activity.
• Sanitize linens regularly. If you have a cut or sore, wash towels and bed linens under hot water with added bleach, if possible. Similarly, dry in a hot dryer.

Knowledge of bacterial infections and the proliferation of antibiotics in our homes and communities is one of the best tools to counter MRSA and other bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance can be attributed in part to the survival mechanisms of bacteria. However, human overuse of antibiotics is a significant culprit and can have dangerous consequences. Antibiotics are effective only for bacterial infections, certain fungal infections and some parasites. Therefore, use antibiotics only for some ear infections, severe sinus infections, strep throat, tract infections and many wound and skin infections such as MRSA. Antibiotics are rendered useless to infections caused by viruses and will unequivocally increase your resistance to that antibiotic. Therefore, do NOT use antibiotics for most ear infections, colds, influenza (flu), most coughs, most sore throats, bronchitis and stomach flu (viral gastroenteritis). Always consult a medical professional before administering or discontinuing the use of any antibiotics. Even if you exhibit no symptoms, never prematurely end your dosage as it will lead to resistance.

Antibiotic use in livestock is also a significant cause of concern as it may contaminate drinking water and serve as a vector of disease for those that are in direct contact with factory farming operations. At least 70 percent of the antibiotics used in the United States, roughly 25 million pounds annually, are administered to livestock on factory farms to survive the cramped and filthy conditions. Ten million pounds of antibiotics have been administered solely to swine. Antibiotic use is also used to artificially promote growth in animals—a move that has been banned in the European Union since January of 2006. What is most alarming, however, is that the US Food and Drug Administration does not keep data on the type, quantity and location of the antibiotics utilized.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a study proving that, “MRSA from an animal reservoir has recently entered the human population and is now responsible for [more than] 20 percent of all MRSA in the Netherlands." In a sample in Ontario, Canada, MRSA was similarly found in 45% of pig farms that can easily be transported to the United States per NAFTA. In the United States, CAFOs, or Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations, are particularly conducive to infectious disease. One scientific study determined that CAFOs pump antibiotic-resistant fecal bacteria into water systems; water downstream from a CAFO tested positive for the deadly contaminants as well as enterococci, fecal coliform and E. coli (Escherichia coli).

Furthermore, scientists have reason to believe that consumption of animals that are fed particular antibiotics may lead to antibiotic resistance in humans. One study determined that in the United States in the 1990s, animals where fed the antibiotic, avoparcin, which is linked to resistance in humans to the antibiotic, vancomycin, one of the few drugs that can still be used to treat MRSA. More research needs to be conducted to determine the scope of this link as well as the prevalence of MRSA on factory farms in the United States. However, more comprehensive research cannot be conducted unless there is more pressure placed on the livestock industry.

It is therefore in the hands of individual communities to push for sustainable wellness that promotes the dignity of all walks of life. Be proactive in the struggle to build safe homes and communities by safeguarding yourself from the spread of lethal infections such as MRSA. Be vigilant in your demands for greater transparency and accountability over antibiotic use in livestock. Lastly, call for a moratorium on CAFOs and other farming projects that inject deadly antibiotics into your community. All elements of society must join together and fight for the changes that will affect generations to come.

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