Interesting item… anyone know if there are Australian researchers working along the same lines?
SAN FRANCISCO — Dangerous staph bacteria have been found in sand and water for the first time at five public beaches along the coast of Washington, and scientists think the state is not the only one with the problem.
The germ is MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — a hard-to-treat bug once rarely seen outside hospitals but spreading to ordinary community settings such as schools, locker rooms and gyms.
MRSA causes nasty skin infections as well as pneumonia and other life-threatening problems. It spreads mostly through human contact.
People should not avoid beaches, scientists say.
“It’s probably prudent to shower when you come out” to lower the risk of bacteria staying on the skin, said Dr. Lance Peterson, a microbiologist at NorthShore University Health System in Evanston, Ill.
Cover any open cuts or scrapes before playing in the sand, and afterward, “make sure you get all the sand off,” Roberts said. Digging or being buried in sand seems to raise the risk of infection, she said.
Dangerous staph bacteria found at public beaches in Washington state | Nation | Star-Telegram.
