Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   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.

1. Gay marriage issue can wait, say Referendum 71 partisans 2. Six injured, three critically, in wreck near Machias 3. Forecast for 2010 housing market: slow decline 4. First-time homebuyer credit invites tax cheats 5. That's Stud Muffin to you 6. Offensive line helps Marysville-Pilchuck rush into state playoffs 7. Glacier Peak freshman overcomes jitters to win state in cross country 8. Proud union member and veteran had a wild side 9. Snohomish County's former sanitation director claims his ouster was forced 10. More snow expected for Cascades, mountain passes 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Gough on track to keep job • Jazz vocalist headlines NPAC • Mountlake Terrace makes football history • Tax revenue sagging, city budgets lagging • ‘Touch of Magic' show opens at Gallery North • Jackson repeats as South champs • Holiday Bazaars Calendar • Meadowdale storms back to grab title • Edmonds moves to Fire District 1 • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million