New Skin Infection Concerns Doctors, Activists

CNS NEWS.com ^ | Feburary 26, 2003 | Lawrence Morahan

[BeAllYouCanBe]

New Skin Infection Concerns Doctors, Activists By Lawrence Morahan CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer February 26, 2003

(CNSNews.com) - Public health officials in California are alerting male homosexuals to the dangers of a new skin infection that is communicable during sex, but some activists charge they're not doing enough to prevent its spread.

The San Francisco Health Department has sent out informational bulletins on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), or "staph," to chiropractors, masseurs and gymnasium and sex-club operators, alerting them to increases of the infection. Officials also have held informational forums at homosexual community centers.

More recently, Los Angeles health officials also have identified an increase in MRSA among male homosexuals.

Officials, however, can't provide numbers of staph infections because MRSA is not a reportable disease in California.

"We've heard anecdotally that there are increases, but we haven't been able to substantiate it," said Colleen Johnson, a San Francisco Health Department spokeswoman. "We will be creating a surveillance system in the next couple of months, but it will take a while in order to have enough data for it to be accurate."

The Health Department is working with the University of California, local health authorities and doctors to prevent the infections from spreading, she said.

Michael Petrelis, a longtime AIDS activist, said the Health Department in San Francisco is failing to control staph infections as it has failed to control other sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infections.

"We've had a doubling of syphilis cases; gonorrhea is up, and now, we have a new drug-resistant staph infection. To me, it says the Health Department in San Francisco is a failure," Petrelis said.

Drug-resistant staph is not new, but this strain is more contagious because it produces a toxin that is passed through the skin, experts said.

"What's new is that some of these are being spread by skin-to-skin infections, and the skin-to-skin contact seems to be of a sexual nature," said Dr. John Diggs, a medical consultant to the Family Research Council.

"The difference is that this is treatable and that it can be spread through more casual contact. It doesn't have to be contact of a sexual nature," he added.

However, the disease could spread rapidly among homosexual men, who have high rates of sexual promiscuity, Diggs said.

Doctors are not accustomed to seeing this type of infection in their offices, Diggs said. It's the kind of infection they expect to see in patients who might be hospitalized or who are otherwise debilitated with diabetes or chemotherapy, he said.

Since early last summer, for example, the San Francisco Health Department has identified an increasing number of patients with soft tissue infections among city jail inmates, the department reported.

The infections can cause pneumonia and bladder, skin and blood infections. In some cases, the disease can be fatal, doctors report.

But in order to control an epidemic, officials need to have some idea what the incidence is, "and they're not doing anything to find out what the incidence is," Diggs said.

"The problem from the beginning is that most of these sexually transmitted diseases have been treated as political issues rather than public health issues," he said.

"The approach they're taking is you treat people, and if they don't get better, then you test them for MRSA," he said.

"There could be people you treat who do get better who still have MRSA. To have MRSA doesn't mean it's not treatable. What it means is it's not treatable by the common methicillin-type antibiotics," he said.

While no official figures are available on the number of staph infections, one San Francisco doctor estimated the city's cases number between 200 and 300.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"The Health Department is working with the University of California, local health authorities and doctors to prevent the infections from spreading, she said."

I hope we've learned that the education as a solution to infectious disease won't work!

[CholeraJoe]

Duplicate

[EggsAckley]

Michael Petrelis, a longtime AIDS activist, said the Health Department in San Francisco is failing to control staph infections as it has failed to control other sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infections.

"We've had a doubling of syphilis cases; gonorrhea is up, and now, we have a new drug-resistant staph infection. To me, it says the Health Department in San Francisco is a failure," Petrelis said.

Hey, dude. Maybe behavior control might help a bit.

[Tacis]

When is the government going to do something to protect all our wonderful fairies? The government stands by and does nothing while brave tinkerbell after brave tinkerbell becomes infected. These so very sensitive persons are the future of faggitude in our nation and something must be done to better protect them. I am reluctant to say this, but I hold Governor Davis personally responsible for the needless death of every pervert in California.

[Bigg Red]

Michael Petrelis, a longtime AIDS activist, said the Health Department in San Francisco is failing to control staph infections as it has failed to control other sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infections.

Gee, Michael, I wonder if they are hampered by activists who hinder the work of those who try to prevent the spread of AIDS. It is the activists who have made it impossible for health care workers to inform people that they may get AIDS if they have sexual relations with an individual.

[11B3]

Maybe if these stupid jerks didn't manage to eat "a medically significant amount of fecal matter" quite often, and used their bottoms in the 'exit only' mode for a change none of this would be happening to them. In the meantime, they should just consider this as another sign that what they are doing is WRONG.

Screw politically correct. There is absolutely no reason to provide special minority status to these subhumans. Since when is minority status something that you can decide to join by choice? Or are they protected because of the occupational health hazards that go along with their lifestyle? The sooner they all get AIDS and check out the better.

I'm sorry, but anyone that defends them - or their lifestyle - should re-examine their morals, values, and credentials as a conservative.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"the activists who have made it impossible for health care workers "

In the mid 80's a guy that went to our church died of AIDS contracted at work as a hospital worker treating a patient with a needle and accidently got stuck. He was not told the patient had AIDS. He died very quickly and left a wife and son.

Many of his coworkers quit rather then play russian roulette with needles and bodily fluids.

The lame-stream media never made an issue of his death but at the time picked up on every gay person and they were the real vicitms!

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"In the meantime, they should just consider this as another sign that what they are doing is WRONG."

I believe this is the heart of the problem.

But remember that Ted Bundy and Jeffery Dahmer didn't think they were doing anything wrong either! (Strange how humans can rationalize anything.)

[Jason_b]

Just as there are men who actually WANT to get aids, will there arise a group of men who WANT to get this disease too?

[vetvetdoug]

I have been flamed before but the homosexual community with their promiscuous sexual practices are nothing but STD amplifiers. One can make the arguement that the heterosexual community has the same problems but nowhere near what the homosexual community per capita experiences.

[Dataman]

[Myrddin]

MRSA leaves you with vancomycin or lipolazid (sp?) as the antibiotics of last resort. If those don't fly, it's time to start making final arrangements.

[tracer]

"It can't be spread by casual contact," I suppose (not)...

[tracer]

"But remember that Ted Bundy and Jeffery Dahmer didn't think they were doing anything wrong either! (Strange how humans can rationalize anything.)

And on that note, let us never forget that our fellow Americans elected the Klingons to the White House -- not once, but twice -- and damned near made an equally tragic mistake re: The Gore-illa............

[Tench_Coxe]

And now, we'll have the media making a herculean effort talking around the reasons for the spread of this disease, much like a disease that grew in the mid-80s due to the same primary transmission vector.
Any bets on when we'll be hearing, " This is a disease affects everyone, and needs copious amounts of taxpayer money to stop. ".

[Coleus]

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