NO MAGIC PROTECTION AGAINST MRSA BACTERIA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has got tough on those over-the-counter hand sanitizer wipes and antiseptic gels, foaming soaps and lotions. And about time. Last week four U.S. companies were sent letters warning them not to make unproven claims. If they didn't stop exaggerating the magic power of their products in 15 days, they could be sued or have their products seized.

Many such products promise to wipe out 99% or even 99.9% of any germs sitting on your hands. In cases they even name bacteria we all know like Salmonella and E.coli, or, the flu virus. Some even claim to kill MRSA - Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is very, very resistant to just about all antibiotics, including all Penicillins, not just Methicillin (Methicillin used to be the drug of choice for treating S. aureus bacteria, but is longer used).

MRSA is the bacteria that we are all afraid of. It is a very infectious, very aggressive germ. From a small wound it can get into your bloodstream and even affect your heart. Close to 20,000 people are reported to die of MRSA each year in the U.S.

True, MRSA can be passed along on the skin of one person to another, on the tie or the lab coat of the doctor attending you in the hospital, and in many other ways. Food service workers with infected cuts on their hands have been known to pass such bacteria into food. I even read a study a couple of years ago (done in the UK) where vets were getting MRSA from pets they were treating.

Of course, we would all like to have a product that made us safer from this germ. But, as the FDA points out, the claims made by the manufacturers of many products on the market today are exaggerated. Quoting Deborah Autor, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research: “MRSA is a serious public health threat. The FDA cannot allow companies to mislead consumers by making unproven prevention claims.”

Good. Personally, I don't want that cook or waiter in the kitchen at my favorite restaurant using one of these gels or lotions before he or she handles my food. I prefer thorough hand washing under running water, and wearing disposable gloves - particularly if that food-service worker has a cut on their hands. That is likely to work better.

By the way, here are the products that the FDA is clamping down on, but believe me, they are not the only ones out there:

• Tec Laboratories for Staphaseptic First Aid Antiseptic/Pain Relieving Gel;
• JD Nelson and Associates for Safe4Hours Hand Sanitizing Lotion and Safe4Hours First Aid Antiseptic Skin Protectant;
• Dr. G.H. Tichenor Antiseptic Co. for Dr. Tichenor’s Antiseptic Gel;
• Oh So Clean, Inc dba CleanWell Company for CleanWell All-Natural Foaming Hand Sanitizer, CleanWell All-Natural Hand Sanitizer, CleanWell All-Natural Hand Sanitizing Wipes, and CleanWell All-Natural Antibacterial Foaming Handsoap


TSF

WILL YOU GET SICK FROM THE STAPH IN YOUR MEAT?

So now we suspect that Staphyloccus aureus bacteria and their toxins could be hiding in half the beef, pork, chicken and turkey we eat in America (see earlier blogs). So why aren't meat eaters getting sick more often?

The U.S. federal authorities estimate that this bacteria is only responsible for about 3 percent of foodborne illness. The meat industry (represented by the American Meat Institute) naturally says it is even less - about 1 percent. (You can do a lot of creative stuff with statistics, and as always, you can find some study or other to back up your case).

In fact, at least a quarter of us walk around with Staph bacteria up our noses, in our mouth or on our skin. Mind you, it's more likely to be one of the less dangerous Staph like Staphylococcus albus, but Staphylococcus aureus is sometimes there too.

But what about this Staphylococcus aureus in meat and other foods you eat? Will it make you sick?

Whether you get sick or not, will depend on a number of factors, including: i) which type of toxins the Staph bacteria produce (see earlier post which explains that toxins are what make you ill - not the Staph bacteria themselves); ii) how much of these toxins you ingest; and iii) who you are.

First, not all Staph produce dangerous enterotoxins such as Staphylococcal enterotoxin Type A or B, and your body can cope with small amounts in your burger or fried chicken, if you don't eat too much (Yet another reason to cut back on the size of your meat portion!).

Finally, whether you get symptoms of food poisoning will depend on how susceptible you yourself are. As always, some people are more vulnerable than others - young children, older adults, people with serious illnesses. I also came across an interesting study of illnesses caused by Staph toxins which found that people under stress are more susceptible than normal.

So don't stress out too much about Staph in your meat. Often there won't be enough toxins to hurt you. Besides, any stress just could make you more susceptible!

TSF