MRSA

Researchers from the Faculty of Medicine at the Ondokuz Mayis University, Turkey, tested the telephones of physicians and nurses in hospital operating rooms as well as intensive care units. They found that about 95% were contaminated with bacteria of different types, including the 'superbug', MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), thus potentially causing infections ranging from relatively minor skin complaints to life-threatening illness. Only 10% of staff regularly cleaned their phone.

Barry NI. Farr, MD, MSc says that isolation of contaminated patients is the key to preventing the spread of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that commonly inhabits the skin of healthy people. Antibiotic- resistant strains of this bacterium caused an estimated 94,360 severe infections in the US during 2005, resulting in around 18,500 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

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