Staphylococcus aureus bacteria questions...

[G]

Specifically Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (yes, I have MRSA* ), though I believe the resistant bit shouldn't make any difference to the properties.

How long will it stay alive on surfaces for? Similar for frabrics and anything else?
Will cold kill it off, if so what temperatures does it like/not like?

I've been given various things to try and get rid of it and been told to change bed clothes every night for the five nights up to the operation etc. I was wondering if there's anything else I should be careful of?

* Ok, it's only a 'colonisation' on my skin, not through an infection and it seems unlikely it would cause any problems even if it did get into the wounds left when they slice me open next Friday.

[JonB]

Staphylococcus Aureus is present in your body from year dot, just an excess amount. Usually it sits in your throat area.

Unlucky on getting MRSA though.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[Whosthedaddy]

[G]

Thanks for the replies; probably should have mentioned that I’ve reasearched this a bit already. Seeing that the big-pussy-patch from that road rash I had a couple of months ago didn’t cause me any problems in this regard, I don’t see it being a big issue, however it’d still be nice for it to be gone.

I’ve been washing clothes at 60 with some added dettol. The treatment procedures listed are about what I have been told to do.

However, as it can presumably live on in bed clothes, it can presumably live on elsewhere, off the skin. We are told that it’s often picked up in hospitals from dirty surfaces etc (I was very slowly hobbling about bare footed when I was in hospital, which could have been how I picked it up)
Thus it’d be nice to know what I need to do to ensure it’s gone.

[Whosthedaddy]

[MarJay]

G,

I would reccomend washing all of the chairs in your place down with something. A carpet shampoo machine might be good. Plus the carpets would be a good bet as well.

Its not that they are dirty, its just that they will have had contact with your skin. Perhaps a cap full of dettol put in with a low concentration of shampoo in one of those carpet shampoo machines might do some good.
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[ace_tweety]

I wouldnt worry about it, my mum caught MRSA. After its "gone" you will be left a "carrier" of the virus but it wont affect you. About 6 out of 10 of the population are carriers.

AS long as its kept under control it will be fine.... the one this its done to my mum is stop her leg healing. (she got her heel removed).

She gets a special wash to use and we need to clean down the house everyday etc until its gone.

Shes in the hospital at the moment for a different thing but she has been isolated incase it spreads.
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[G]

Biker_chick and Whosthedaddy:
At the moment I'm only a 'carrier', I am not infected.
It is possible to remove it completely, but as whosthedaddy suggests, you can’t be sure it’s gone completely. And even if I could be, I could get it again a couple of weeks after from someone else and be back to square one. Apparently the standard procedure for checking for it (I don’t know if they will bother with me) is to do three tests and separate time and if they all show up negative the balance of probability suggests that worst case it’s below detectable levels.
However it would be ‘nice’ to know that I’ve got rid of it this time.

Marjay:
I’m sure my carpets are dirty .
If the carpet and chairs are an issue, then also I expect will be many other clothes I own and such like, thus looking for info on how long it will last in what conditions.
As mentioned above, it’s not really a big issue as I’m pretty likely to come in contact with someone who has it in the future anyway.

[MarJay]

[G]

I usually wash clothes at 40, which isn't really /that/ hot, though the washing bit may well do enough. Have bumped that up to 60 with some Dettol for the moment.

Chairs and carpets should have had fairly minimal contact with me; ie arms and hands only generally. My current ‘ergonomic’ computer chair is probably quite good as it hasn’t got a back or arms.
Though, if I can find any evidence that it’s an issue, then I’ll see what I can do.

I was more worried by stuff like bike jackets which I’m likely to have got hot / sweaty in and likely to do the same again but don’t really get washed.

[lozzypop1]

[MarJay]

To tell the truth, I just want to see G clean his house!

just kidding.
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Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Hex]

[colin1]

How did you find out that you have it ?

What symptoms to people get who are infected rather than just carriers ?
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[G]

[Kickstart]

Hi

From my understanding MRSA is far less serious than many assume, just a total pig to get rid of. When Charlottes leg wasn't healing and they took the pins out they took a sample of bone marrow and found MRSA in that, which had been there ages.

All the best

Keith
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[G]

Was searching for something else and came upon this, so thought I'd offer some closure, in case someone comes to it later trying to search for the same things I was.

As has been suggested, MRSA doesn't have any more harmful affects than 'SA' which is present on the skin of 1 in 3 people.
A normal fit-healthy person is unlikely to get infected by this bacteria if they have a cut or similar.

The figures vary a lot, but as many as 1 in 20 (or a lot less depending on where you read) have MRSA on their skin.

The only real difference between the two is that you can't use the normal drugs to get rid of MRSA. There are drugs available, but the NHS is cautious of using for worry of even stronger strains developing.

I did the bed clothes thing, covered myself in the itchy antibiotic when showering and wasn't tested again after the operation.
I requested a test myself and this came back negative.
From what the surgeon had said, I got the impression it may have only been in my nose that MRSA was present.
Of course it's possible that I will catch it again of other people that have it, but I know a week after the operation I was 'clean' at least.

For anyone that's missed out, the operation went ok* and a year on my foot/leg's pretty much ok, definitely 'usable'.
* Apart from one of the sew-ey people stabbing themselves with a needle, for which I got a 'free' HIV/Hep test, which came out negative, which is nice.

[Annabella]

[G]

[Annabella]

[lozzypop1]

[Annabella]

Would you feel more comfortable if I used "genitals" or "testicles" Lozzy?
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[lozzypop1]

Possibly, It was just so shocking.... Damaged my fragile little mind.
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