Diver aids in MRSA awareness

That red bump or rash that just won’t go away could be more than just a simple
irritation.

In recent years, the number of healthy people suffering from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, has increased.

October is MRSA Awareness Month, and professors, students and doctors said awareness among healthy students and Bloomington residents should be raised.

Senior Cassidy Kahn, a member of the IU swimming and diving team, learned firsthand how MRSA could quickly change a life.

In 2008, Kahn had a rash on her legs for a few days before she suddenly became ill.

The rash was caused by a MRSA infection.

She was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a rare flesh-eating bacteria with a high death rate.

She said she was lucky to survive the infection. Through surgeries and physical therapy she fought her way back to being a member of the diving team.

The senior now advocates for MRSA awareness.

Oct. 2 is World MRSA Awareness Day, and Kahn said she is devoting time to help inform others how to spot MRSA and the risks of the infection.

Starting today, Kahn will distribute brochures and Purell hand-sanitizer near the west entrance of the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation building.

She, along with other volunteers, will be available to answer questions and pass along information about MRSA.

Kahn said she hopes by bringing awareness to campus about MRSA and her struggle, people will do their part to spread the word.

“It’s not one of those things that people can just brush off,” Kahn said. “People need to know what it is and what to look for.”

Richard Hardy, a virologist and IU biology professor, said MRSA has arisen from other strains of staph aureus and become drug resistant.

“These strains of staph aureus do not respond to antibiotics,” Hardy said. “So once they are inside the body they begin causing cell death.”

There are two ways people acquire MRSA, Hardy said. The first is hospital acquired MRSA and the second, community acquired MRSA.

Hardy said he supports the medical community’s claim that there has been an increase in the community acquired MRSA.

About 1 percent of the population, he said, carries MRSA on their skin, and these people can pass the infection on when they come in contact with another person’s open wound.

Mark Schwartz, a plastic surgeon in New York City who helped treat Kahn during her bout with the illness, said he has seen more seemingly healthy people diagnosed with MRSA.

Schwartz said there is a lot of awareness in the medical community about how common MRSA is with healthy young people, but that information is not being spread to the masses.

“When people are diagnosed, they are shocked because there is a lot of misinformation,” he said. “The population in general needs to be better aware so that perhaps it won’t have the stigma attached.”