Kids’ staph-germ infections called ‘alarming’

Published 10:19 pm Monday, January 19, 2009

CHICAGO — Researchers say they found an “alarming” increase in children’s ear, nose and throat infections nationwide caused by dangerous drug-resistant staph germs.

Other studies have shown rising numbers of skin infections in adults and children caused by these germs, nicknamed MRSA, but this is the first nationwide report on how common they are in certain ear and sinus infections, and abcesses that can form in the tonsils and throat, the study authors said.

The study found a total of 21,009 pediatric head and neck infections caused by staph germs from 2001 through 2006. The percentage caused by hard-to-treat MRSA bacteria more than doubled during that time from almost 12 percent to 28 percent.

“In most parts of the United States, there’s been an alarming rise,” said study author Dr. Steven Sobol, a children’s head and neck specialist at Emory University.

MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, can cause dangerous, life-threatening invasive infections.

MRSA infections can happen through direct skin-to-skin contact or contact with surfaces contaminated with germs from cuts and other open wounds. Unlike cold and flu bugs, MRSA germs aren’t airborne and don’t spread through sneezing.

Sobol said MRSA head and neck infections most likely develop in MRSA carriers, who become susceptible because of ear, nose or throat infections caused by some other bug. Symptoms that it could be MRSA include ear infections that drain pus, or swollen neck lymph nodes caused by pus draining from a throat or nose abcess.

MRSA does not respond to penicillin-based antibiotics and doctors are concerned that it is becoming resistant to others.