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| Superbug hits 2 more inmates |
| By London Free Press |
| Published: 08/22/2005 |
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Two more inmates at the provincial detention centre on Exeter Road in London have tested positive for a drug-resistant superbug. The latest two bring the number of confirmed cases at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre to five. The Middlesex-London Health Unit is awaiting 10 additional test results. The two new cases were found in a second unit at the centre. Nine other tests have come back negative. The negative tests were on people in units throughout the detention centre, said officials. The bug, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, is an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection. It is often referred to as staph or staph A. Typical symptoms are infected pimples, abscesses or redness on the skin. Tests are necessary to confirm a staph infection. Most antibiotics don't work because the bacterium has developed resistance, but there are still a few that do. Officials have tackled the outbreak by isolating infected inmates in segregation cells. Units in the centre are being cleaned thoroughly and inmates are being instructed to wash their hands and shower to limit the spread of the bug. The bacterium is spread by direct person-to-person contact and not through the air. Untreated, the bug can result in blood and bone infections. It is a major concern in hospitals, where ailing or elderly people are most susceptible. People with suppressed immune systems are particularly vulnerable. |
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