Aussies to test golden staph vaccine

[depakid]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Australian scientists are developing a potential "blockbuster" vaccine that could protect against golden staph, a leading source of infection in the world's hospitals. A major human trial is now getting under way, and more than 400 healthy volunteers are sought across the country to test how their bodies respond to the prototype vaccine.

Dr Peter Richmond said the bacteria, otherwise named Staphylococcus aureus, was posing a rising challenge to health authorities as antibiotic-resistant strains were now commonplace in hospitals and health care facilities. There were was also signs these superbug variants were circulating in the community, he said, and a vaccine that could prevent serious infections would help to save lives the world over.

"This is the first time (the prototype vaccine) has been used in man," Perth-based Dr Richmond also told AAP on Wednesday. "What we'll hopefully find out is what sort of boost to immunity the vaccine gives and whether or not it could stop you carrying this bug."

Dr Richmond said between 20 and 40 per cent of the population were unknowing carriers of the bacteria which usually live benignly on the skin or in the nose. These "colonised" people, and those who they newly exposed to the bacteria, had a risk of infection should they also suffer an accidental cut or be recovering from surgery. This could result in serious complications like pneumonia or a potentially life threatening infection of the brain membrane, heart valves or bone marrow.

Read more: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/aussies-to-test-golden-staph-vaccine-20100225-p3sp.html

[ColesCountyDem]

1. Speaking as a MRSA survivor, this is GREAT news! n/t

[Hestia]

2. I am a survivor also - have you read about melakalu (sp?) honey? It comes NZ.

[StarryNite]

5. Manuka Honey

It's great for cuts and sores. You can order it online. It lasts forever.

[gleaner]

4. My husband barely survived MRSA in 2008 ...

I posted about it below. I hope you continue well and never have to go through anything like that again. It is one of the worst illnesses I have ever seen. Take care of yourself.

[gleaner]

3. My husband survived MRSA in 2008 ..

It caused Endocarditis which resulted in a heart attack from blockages comprised of the bacteria. The Infarct could not be bypassed. It destroyed a heart valve which had to be replaced and an ICD had to be implanted because his heart was knocked out of rhythm. It controls the rhythm of his heart and will fibrillate it if the rhythm becomes erratic. Even so he has to sleep in a hospital bed partially sitting with a machine forcing oxygen into his lungs while he sleeps.

His lungs were scarred and damaged at the bottom and his pulmonary capacity has decreased. His bone marrow was attacked and damaged so badly that for a while he had no immune system, anemia and his platelet count was so low that his doctor told him not to shave for fear that if he cut himself it would be difficult to stop the bleeding. His skin became so thin that it split very easily and I found out that they were right about the bleeding. The tiniest opening bled so profusely that I had to keep stacking gauze pads on five deep to make a pressure bandage sufficient to stop it. That has righted itself somewhat, but his blood is still not as it was. He is anemic and always cold and tired.

His liver was damaged and it caused ammonia intoxication. If he does not take a specific medicine three times a day raw ammonia goes into his bloodstream instead of being broken down into chemicals his body could process. This causes confusion, somnolence and eventually coma and death if not treated.

His kidneys were damaged as well. His doctors considered dialysis, but the abnormal values went down to the point where it became a "tolerable risk" to keep him off dialysis.

Most of the antibiotics he was given by the infectious disease specialist wouldn't touch it. When they gave him the antibiotic of last resort for this form of resistant staph, Vancomycin, he developed anaphalaxis. They told us that there are other antibiotics they could give him if it ever became necessary but they are very expensive and most likely we would have to fight the insurance company to get them. We had to fight them to get the treatment he need this time, but we were fortunate to have a hospital who did our appeals and got much of his treatment paid for. The rest will probably never be paid for. We can't afford it. We were and maybe still are on the verge of losing our house which is underwater and mortgaged. We barely survive financially, but I would rather have him alive with nothing than all the money in the world.

He had a fever of 105 degrees and higher most of the time he was in the hospital. He cannot remember what happened a lot of the time, but I will never forget it. His Cardiologist said that he has never seen a patient that sick survive, and a lot of what has happened no one can explain because, as they told us, very few people have survived it. He cannot walk anymore except a few steps with a walker. His balance was impaired and his vision. None of his doctors know why. His Neurological consults could not and cannot explain it.

One cautionary note though. He did not catch it in a medical setting. The epidemiologist they brought in to speak to us had no idea where he could have gotten it. They told us it is "in the wild," now which means that he could have gotten it anywhere. A 17 year old high school athlete caught it at the same time. He died in three days. One of the residents told us this while my husband was at his sickest in a burst of questionable taste. There were others in the contagion rooms of the ICU who had it as well. It passes as easily as a cold by hand to hand contact, contact with blood or mucous from someone who is infectious and from environmental surfaces, just as a cold will. A vaccine would be a God send, but I don't know if it would help my husband. He was told that any infection he gets could cause a resurgence of the MRSA. He is colonized and will have to be careful for the rest of his life.

I post about this often because I want people to be aware that it exists and they are vulnerable. I cant' explain why I didn't catch it. I cared for him before he went to the hospital when he was getting sicker and sicker without the protective garments they made me wear just to visit him. But hand washing or sanitizing is the best way to avoid this just as it is the best way to avoid a cold.

In the meantime, let us all hope for a safe and effective vaccine.