Everett, Wash.
Published: Friday, February 29, 2008

Watch out for MRSA pneumonia, Snohomish Health District urges doctors

A college student recently died from pneumonia caused by drug-resistant staph.

By Sharon Salyer
Herald Writer

 EVERETT -- The Snohomish Health District is asking physicians to be on the alert for severe bacterial pneumonia, a complication of the flu that can be life-threatening, especially for children.

The alert follows the death last week in Bellingham of Chris Feden, a 20-year-old Western Washington University student who died from pneumonia. It was caused by a staph infection called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. It is resistant to many, but not all, types of antibiotics.

"We're reminding physicians that, given the case in Whatcom County, there is this MRSA pneumonia out there," said Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer for the Snohomish Health District.

"I just want them to be on the alert until flu season has settled down," he said.

Several types of pneumonia can result from the flu. MRSA pneumonia is often severe and always serious, Goldbaum said.

No cases of MRSA pneumonia have been reported in Snoho­mish County this flu season, he said.

However, physicians need to be on the alert for MRSA pneumonia and prescribe specific antibiotics to combat the infection until flu season subsides, he said.

Signs that a patient may have MRSA pneumonia include a sudden drop in blood pressure, high fever and a cough that produces bloody mucus, Goldbaum said.

It can cause severe damage to lungs, he added.

MRSA is far more common as a bacterial skin infection that is resistant to antibiotics.

These skin infections commonly occur near cuts and abrasions and can cause pus or boils.

In October, MRSA infections received national attention following the death of a seventh-grader from Brooklyn, N.Y.

One county in southern Virginia closed 21 schools after the bacterial infection killed a 17-year-old high school student.

In Snohomish County, Holy Rosary School in Edmonds closed for three days in November after a report that a third-grade student had been diagnosed with MRSA.

Simple steps can help prevent the spread of MRSA skin infections, Goldbaum said. These include frequent hand washing, keeping wounds covered and seeking medical treatment for skin wounds that don't seem to heal normally.



Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA