I got a letter form my mom the other day and she's all upset. She just found out that she has contracted something called MSRA Staph infection and so have some other inmates. Does anyone know anything about this infection what it is how you catch it and what needs to be done about it? Any info would be great I'm really worried.

Go to this link to CDC info on it:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/Aresist/mrsafaq.htm

If there is an outbreak there, they should be taking precautions to prevent the spread. "They" meaning the prison. There were some articles about it this fall i think in the atlanta journal constitution. I don't know if the website will let you look back that far w/o paying, but if you have access to a library, you could get it there. It's a big problem in prisons, athletics, military because of people living in such close quarters. The CDC has a bunch of info on it. I would print it and send it to your mom so she and the other women can do what they can on their own to control it and treat it. There was a bunch of misdiagnosed cases a while back in a Ga prison (can't remember which one) where they were told the infections were spider bites.

Hope this helps!

Hey michelleg hey thanks yeah about 3months ago my mom was told she was bitten by a spider or something like that then about 3-4 weeks ago she was seen by an outside doctor for her diasbility and wsa told she has the infection. Thanks for the info I will send it to her this evening!

If she doesn't get adequate treatment, feel free to call the warden & on up the chain of command to the state head of care & treatment. You can look on the DOC website for the numbers & look for the facilities directory. I think that's the title. Anyway, it's an adobe pdf file.

MRSA is a antibiotic resistant infection. There are very few antibiotics that can fight this infection. They need to put the inmates that have this in isolation and anyone that is around them need to wear masks and use universal precautions. They should be in isolation, but that would probably be very hard in the setting that they are in. If the MRSA gets in the respiratory sysytem then they are going to have a VERY BIG problem. Keep us posted on what you find out.
Barbara

Yhanks everyone I just talked to my mom and she's not doing all that good. She has come down with some kind of virus (maybe the flu) and its hitting her pretty hard I not sure if its b/c of the MRSA or what just please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I feel like there is nothing I can do for her the have her in the Medical Unit or whatever its called but I have this gut feeling that something is wrong and I just can't shake it.

I will pray for you and your mother!

My thoughts are with you! I know how scary it is when you know a loved one's sick on the inside (even if it's just the flu).

michelle