A to Z Health Guide 2007

The four scariest letters of the year may have been MRSA, for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which was thought to be responsible for the deaths of four young children, all of whom probably picked up the bacteria from locker rooms or other public areas in their schools. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its first report on how prevalent MRSA infections are in the U.S., noting that 32 out of every 100,000 people are infected, a figure that includes a growing number of cases outside of hospitals, where MRSA has traditionally been most common. At least the bacteria can be controlled with antibiotics, as long as the drugs are not from the penicillin family. To avoid becoming infected, wash your hands often and keep any open cuts covered.