Cowell sees jump in frequency of staph infections

By Liz O'Brien

The Oct. 15 death of a Virginia high school student from a bacteria-resistant staph infection has brought health concerns to light on campuses nationwide, and Santa Clara is no exception.

Cowell Health Center sees an average of three to six staph infections a week, according to staff physician Lauren Salaices, though none have reached the severity of those cases receiving national attention.

"As far as actual infectious diseases, I would say this by far is the big change that we've seen," said Salaices.

Of particular concern is Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA. MRSA is a variation of staph bacteria that have developed a resistance to antibiotics traditionally used to treat staph infections.

"For sure in the last two, maybe three years, we've gone from never really seeing MRSA to seeing it a lot," Salaices said, adding that the majority of staph infections Cowell treats are MRSA.

Last spring, Cowell recorded only eight cases of staph infections and four more that were MRSA, though Salaices added that this data didn't include infections that were not appropriate for a culture, or those where no pus was present.

She also said that many cases were not recorded because they were follow-ups to earlier or recurrent MRSA infections.

Some possible causes of MRSA's recent increase include the natural mutation of bacteria and the increasing use of anti-bacterial products, according to Salaices. This kind of development is more common in crowded environments, which is why it is showing up on college campuses more frequently, she said.

"The usual staph that we see, most antibiotics should work, whereas there's more resistance patterns in MRSA," Salaices said.

Staph infections are caused by bacteria that enter the skin through any sort of cut or sore.

While staph bacteria can live harmlessly on the surface of the skin, once it enters the skin it can develop into a mild to serious infection.

Unlike a normal staph infection, in which an isolated section of the skin appears crusty or oozes, an infection of MRSA is much more "angry looking," according to Salaices, and is usually larger in circumference, as well as reddish-purple in color and deeper in the skin. Often, infections are confused for bug bites. Staph patients do not usually experience symptoms other than the discomfort and pain of the actual infection.

Though no hospitalizations have resulted from staph infections in Santa Clara students, an infection can still slow students down.

Junior Kristin Williams, an athlete on the women's crew team, experienced the inconvenience of a staph infection two years ago during racing season. Williams' case resulted from a shingles outbreak.

"I didn't have any nausea or anything, but I was super tired and kind of irritable," she said. She returned to the team only two or three days after the infection, but said that she should have been out closer to a week. After her return, there were some teammates who expressed concern about contracting a similar infection.

"I definitely was not allowed on any of the equipment or near anyone. Everyone was freaking out that they were going to get it," she said.

According to Salaices, though, there is little risk of contracting an infection from athletic equipment.

"We haven't seen reports that just using gym equipment or anything like that does it," she said. "Usually you need to come in contact with someone."

Other common ailments on campus include stomach problems and food poisoning. Salaices stressed that maintaining a sanitary lifestyle is the best way to stay healthy.

Salaices advised students to be very conscious of sharing razors or towels, as both come in frequent contact with the skin.

"It's a drag," she said of contracting staph. "You have to really practice good hygiene."

Correction: The story and accompanying deck incorrectly stated the frequency of staph infections at Cowell Health Center. Though Cowell is treating students with staph infections in the last two years more than ever before, staph infections are not among the top 10 problems seen at the clinic.