What about Bleach for Killing MRSA?

Linda wrote in this last weekend wondering if swimming pools can kill MRSA, what about bleach ? Below is my response...

As I mentioned previously, well maintained pools can kill MRSA, but it will be much slower to kill these bacteria than disinfectants will. Again, pools aren't meant to act as a harsh disinfectant like the ones that are commonly used in the kitchen or bathroom.

Now, a bleach solution you use in your home is typically made as a 10% solution of bleach in water. This "roughly" correlates to a .1% chlorine solution as compared to 3.9ppm (parts per million) chlorine as one would expect in a properly maintained pool. This makes a 10% solution of bleach you use for disinfecting MUCH MUCH more concentrated than any swimming pool. Thus, it will kill MRSA and Staph and other bacteria much more quickly.

However, something to be aware of is that chemical disinfectants like bleach (which contain chemical toxins) can have a negative effect on our immune systems. There are actually non-toxic cleaners and disinfectants that kill MRSA and other bacteria, but are safe to use around yourself, your children and your pets.

Another often critically overlooked issue when it comes to MRSA and Staph infections is that we come in contact with these bacteria EVERYWHERE. Not just the hospital. Not just the gym. They are everywhere. Many people carry MRSA bacteria and don't have symptoms. These bacteria get spread on doorknobs, shopping cart handles, cell phones, toys, etc and even through the air on dead skin cells. Anything that gets touched by people can very likely have MRSA.

I'm not spreading this to be alarmist, but these are the facts I know as a Microbiologist. Ultimately, one of your best defenses against these infections is your immune system. This is largely overlooked by medicine as a way to help prevent infection. What you eat, what you disinfect with, what you don't eat, your stress level and more can affect your immune system.

I have written about this key factor, as well as the many natural and effective antibiotics that are available for MRSA and Staph in my comprehensive manual MRSA Secrets Revealed. This manual addresses prevention, non-toxic cleaning, powerful natural treatment options, and steps to take that have helped people boost their immune system. You can more learn about this trusted and respected manual at www.staph-infection-resources.com .

Be well,
Michelle

Will Swimming Pools Kill MRSA?

These are common questions I get fairly often.

Can I transmit MRSA to someone else in a swimming pool?

Can I get MRSA from a swimming pool?

Amazingly, I just heard from someone who has MRSA and apparently their doctor advised them to go into a swimming pool as the doctor said the pool will kill the MRSA on their body.

Is this good advice? Or not? Well, first of all, I'm not a doctor but I can share with you my research on this matter as well as my experience as a Microbiologist.

According to a recent study, swimming pools will kill MRSA and Staph bacteria in the water IF they are properly maintained. Now, let me break this down into some very important points.

First of all, it's generally advised to avoid using pools, spas, or whirlpools if you have open wounds. Most swimming pools have adopted policy's that do not allow people to enter the water with open wounds. You may have seen this policy at your local pool. This policy is used because there is a chance of transmitting bacteria to other people in improperly disinfected water. Therefore, if you have an active infection, I think it's wise to stay out of the water. You don't want to chance giving your infection to someone else and you don't want your open wound to become infected with more bacteria.

Secondly, yes, chlorine will kill MRSA and Staph at proper swimming pool or spa concentrations, but not all pools and spas are maintained at the proper levels of chlorine. There are many factors that come into play with maintaining proper levels of chlorine. And, there have been many instances, particularly with sporting teams where MRSA has been isolated from improperly maintained spas. And these improperly maintained spas have been implicated in transmitting MRSA from player to player (Kazakova et al. 2005). See below for CDC's guidelines on how to determine if your pool or spa is being properly maintained.

Thirdly, as a Microbiologist I know that swimming pools will not kill all of the bacteria on your skin. Swimming pools and spas have disinfectants like chlorine in them to disinfect the water. These levels are not high enough to kill all the bacteria on your body, nor should they be. It would be quite chemically-toxic to enter. Sure, some bacteria will probably die from your skin, but not all of them. And, as I've said before, it's important to remember that many of the bacteria living on your skin are there to protect you from "bad" bacteria. And, bacteria have many defenses including the formation of biofilms. Biofilms are like houses over the bacteria that help protect them from disinfectants and other threats.

In summary, swimming pools or spas will not cleanse your body of MRSA, Staph or any other bacterial skin infection. Chlorine in the pool is meant to reduce or eliminate free-floating bacteria and parasites that come off of people into the water, making the pool a safer environment for all. When pools and spas are maintained appropriately, they will kill MRSA and Staph bacteria in the water fairly quickly making it fairly unlikely for anyone to get MRSA from a pool (see article Tolba, O., et al. below). However, improperly maintained pools or spas have had MRSA isolated from them and they are suspect in transmitting MRSA from person to person.

Here's a neat little chart from the CDC with chlorine disinfection times for some common pool germs: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/chlorine_timetable.htm

The CDC has posted some great information about swimming pool and spa "health" and how you can better determine how well swimming pools and spas are maintained. You can learn more from the CDC about healthy swimming here: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/

Be well,

Michelle Moore
Microbiologist, Staph Researcher and Natural Health Advocate
Natural MRSA Treatment Options


References:

Tolba, O., et al., Survival of epidemic strains of healthcare (HA-MRSA) and community-associated (CA-MRSA) meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in river-, sea- and swimming pool water Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health (2007), doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2007.06.003 http://www.mrsa-net.nl/nl/files/file-bron-ant-10191-0-Tolba.pdf

Centers for Disease Control, Healthy Swimming: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/

Kazakova, S.V., Hageman, J.C., Matava, M., Srinivasan, A., Phelan, L., Garfinkel, B., Boo, T., McAllister, S., Anderson, J., Jensen, B., Dodson, D., Lonsway, D., McDougal, L.K., Arduino, M., Fraser, V.J., Killgore, G., Tenover, F.C., Cody, S., Jernigan, D.B., 2005. A clone of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus among professional football players. N. Engl. J. Med. 352, 468–475

Why Most MRSA Treatments Eventually Fail

More than 50% of people with MRSA suffer from recurring infections. No matter what MRSA treatment approach you use or how effective your MRSA treatment may be, stopping your current infection has little bearing on stopping the recurring infection cycle.

Surprisingly, many common MRSA treatment approaches actually promote recurring infections. Throughout all of my research, education and personal experience, I've found there are 3 steps you must take to end your MRSA infection for good. Read on to learn what the 3 steps are.

Click on the blue link to read my full article on 3 simple steps for successful MRSA treatment.

Be well,
Michelle
Microbiologist, Author and Researcher

Join Michelle On Squidoo!

Hi Everyone,

Can you believe I'm finally joining the age of "Social Networks". Yippe!

Now you can see one of my recent posts on an article I've written recently. My article is "Why Most MRSA Treatment Approaches Eventually Fail". This is true for antibiotics and natural antibiotic choices.

You can see my Squidoo article on this by clicking below:

http://www.squidoo.com/Why-Most-MRSA-Treatment-Approaches-Eventually-Fail

Be well,
Michelle

Oprah and Dr Oz Air Show on Superbugs and MRSA

Super bugs, flesh eating bacteria, Staph, MRSA, C. diff, Tuberculosis, antibiotic resistant bacteria. These words have been flying around the media lately, and they affect millions of people each year.

But what are they? What does it all mean? And what can you do to protect yourself and your family from these infectious bacteria?

Oprah and Dr. Oz Report
Oprah, with the help of Dr. Mehmet Oz M.D., recently aired a show solely devoted to help people understand more about the emergence of these Superbug infections. As Oprah and Dr. Oz discussed, superbugs have been seen in the news as "flesh eating bacteria" (also called necrotizing fasciitis), MRSA (short for the bacteria called Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus), C. diff (the bacteria Clostridium difficile) and "Staph" (short for the bacteria Staphylococcus).

Oprah also interviewed NBA all-star Grant Hill, who got MRSA in 2003.

Why are these Superbugs Growing?
As a Microbiologist, I'm all too familiar with rise of antibiotic resistance and the ever growing MRSA and Staph superbug epidemic. These superbug infections have unfortunately been largely created because of the overuse and abuse of antibiotics.

Ever been to your doctor with a head cold and they prescribed antibiotics? Antibiotics do not work for viral infections (like the cold and flu), but often doctors will prescribe them so we go home with medication and we "feel" better because we have a bottle of pills. Antibiotics are also misused, and abused by the livestock industry. These and many more factors have lead to this Super bug rise that is taking lives every day.

What Treatments work for Superbugs?
Because of the abuse of antibiotics, many of these bacteria have become resistant or immune to the effects of these antibiotics. There are even some superbugs that are immune to all antibiotics available right now. While some antibiotics still work for infections, people using antibiotics most often struggle with recurring infections they can't get rid of.

The growing inability of mainstream medicine to successfully treat Staph and MRSA infections is a source frustration, disappointment, fear, and even despair for hundreds of thousands of people suffering from these potentially deadly infections. - Microbiologist and Staph Researcher Michelle Moore

It is apparent that alternative solutions need to be found to protect ourselves and treat these infections. Even the CDC admits it's just a matter of time before antibiotics fail completely. Fortunately, there are many natural antimicrobials available that are very effective, and do not cause antimicrobial resistance. Many of these have been used safely by European doctors for decades. These plant and herb extracts are very safe and can be extremely effective against these superbug infections.

My new guidebook MRSA Secrets Revealed is the most comprehensive publication on prevention and treatment of MRSA and Staph infections available today. This resource is backed by months of research on what's been found to be effective for MRSA and Staph, and includes my knowledge and education as a Microbiologist and Scientific Researcher.
Learn more about it by clicking here: MRSA Secrets Revealed.

Be prepared and protect yourself and your family. Be armed with the knowledge, tools and resources available to you (many your doctor may not even know about) and you will have everything you need to prevent getting these superbug infections as well as how to stop recurring infections and regain your health.

Michelle Moore
Microbiologist, Scientist and Health Advocate
Author of "MRSA Secrets Revealed"
Click here for MRSA and Staph infection treatment solutions

Gram-negative bacteria are drug-resistant superbugs to watch out for - CNN.com

Unfortunately, MRSA is not the only Superbug infection today. Bacteria are very crafty and can become resistant to antibiotics relatively quickly. Staph bacteria were showing resistance to Penicillin (the first commercial antibiotic) within a couple of years of the introduction of Penicillin.

Today, with antibiotic abuse or over-prescription of antibiotics (for colds and flu which are not caused by bacteria), over-use of antibiotics in the feed animal industry, and hospitals and pharmaceutical companies dumping tons of unused or expired drugs and antibiotics into the water supply, it's no doubt that we will see ever-increasing numbers of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

Gram-negative bacteria Superbugs are predominantly found in hospitals and can be and commonly infection patients who are already very ill, babies in ICU, very old patients, patients who've just had surgery, and burn patients in the ICU. And these gam-negative bacteria can enter the body by way of catheters, IVs, ventilators or wounds (like MRSA can).

It's plain to see that doctors are loosing ground when it comes to treating these Superbug with conventional antibiotics. For yourself and your family's sake, learn about ALL of the natural antimicrobial products that are available. I feel these will be required to survive the ever growing population of bacteria that will not respond to antibiotics.

Michelle Moore
Microbiologist, Scientist and Health Advocate
Author of "MRSA Secrets Revealed"
Click here for MRSA and Staph infection treatment solutions



For the full CNN article, click here: Gram-negative bacteria are drug-resistant superbugs to watch out for - CNN.com

Beaches may harbor staph bacteria: U.S. study | Reuters

A new warning has been issued for beach goers. Caution is advised when swimming or sunbathing at the beach. Studies are showing that Staph and MRSA bacteria are "hanging out" in areas of warm sea water, like Florida for instance.

According to the study, people who swim in subtropical marine waters have a 37 percent higher risk of being exposed to staph bacteria, including an antibiotic resistant staph (MRSA) known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

Now, being a Microbiologist, I can tell you that Staph (and MRSA) are skin bacteria. They will be anywhere people "hang out". Whether it's the gym, the grocery store, or swimming pools or beaches. Staph and MRSA can survive for some time on surfaces (up to weeks) and can survive in water for some time, including swimming pools.

Your best advice to help avoid MRSA is to shower before and after entering any body of water (including swimming pools), and do not enter the water if you have any open cuts, sores or wounds.

And, please do not use the anti-microbial soaps - they are not proven to reduce pathogenic bacteria anyway, and they just harm your own body's good bacteria, thus making your MORE PRONE to MRSA.

Click below for the full article:
Beaches may harbor staph bacteria: U.S. study | Science & Health | Reuters

Michelle Moore
Microbiologist and Natural Health Advocate
Click Here for MRSA Infection Treatment Options

Hospitals Flush 250 Million Pounds of Expired Drugs Into Public Sewers Every Year

I saw this in NaturalNews recently. On the topic of Antibiotic Resistance, it's no wonder we have SuperBugs like MRSA. Let alone doctors are prescribing antibiotics when they are often not necessary, and our beef and chicken are pumped full of antibiotics, we now have hospitals dumping millions of pounds of old and expired drugs into water every year. This all impacts our body and who's to say exactly how this will all pan out.

Michelle Moore
Microbiologist and Staph Researcher
Learn What Your Doctor Isn't Telling You About Your MRSA Infection

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(NaturalNews) The Associated Press (AP) estimates that hospitals and long-term medical care institutions across the United States are dumping 250 million pounds of pharmacologically active drugs directly into public sewer systems each year.

After adjusting for Minnesota's relatively low rate of prescription drug use and doubling the number to account for the greater waste typically produced by long-term care facilities, the AP concluded that at least 250 million pounds of drug waste and drug-contaminated packaging are thrown away each year. This includes expired or spoiled drugs, leftovers from too-large prescriptions, drugs that are prescribed but not needed, drugs that patients refuse to take or that are halted due to negative side effects, or drugs left over when patients die.

Dumping drugs into water is far from harmless, although the exact nature of the danger remains poorly understood. But scientists agree that drugs remain pharmacologically active even after disposal, and can have severe effects on humans and wildlife. Studies of wastewater near hospitals in Europe and the US have found higher concentrations of antibiotic resistant bacteria and of organisms with genetic mutations similar to those that can cause cancer in humans. Another study on antibiotics in the fluoroquinolone family, including best-seller ciproflaxin, found that these drugs could cause changes to bacterial DNA.

See full article here: Hospitals Flush 250 Million Pounds of Expired Drugs Into Public Sewers Every Year

Garlic - A Natural MRSA Treatment

You may not be aware about this, but you likely have a very powerful ally against MRSA or Staph hiding in your kitchen. Garlic is not just another herb when it comes to using it for infections. Garlic has been scientifically proven to be a powerful natural antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal agent. Garlic has also been shown to kill highly resistant MRSA infections in human clinical studies.

Garlic was used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese to treat all types of infections, its use dating back over 5,000 years. As recently as World War II, garlic saved thousands of lives by protecting open wounds from getting infected. Even Louis Pasteur studied the strong antibacterial properties of garlic in 1858.

I think anytime we can find natural alternatives to antibiotics, we are doing ourselves and everyone else a favor. The more we all use antibiotics, the more we will have resistant superbug infections in our world. If you infection is not severe or critical, I believe you should use alternatives first to get your infection under control.

For our complete article on how garlic can be useful for addressing Staph and MRSA infections, click the blue link: Garlic - A natural treatment for MRSA Infections

Be Well,
Michelle Moore
Microbiologist, Staph Researcher and Health Advocate