Was it in the dog food? Maybe I'll only eat the cat food now.
Public beaches should be tested for superbug, researcher warns
Discovery of antibiotic-resistant bacteria on five beaches in Washington state is 'tip of the iceberg,' U.S. microbiologist says
By Mary Frances Hill and Amy O'Brian, Vancouver SunSeptember 28, 2009
Vancouver public beaches should be tested for dangerous staph bacteria after it was found in sand and water at five public beaches along the coast of Washington, according to a University of Washington researcher who made the discoveries.
The MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a bacteria once rarely seen outside of hospitals. It is known as a "superbug" because of its resistance to antibiotics.
University of Washington microbiology professor Marilyn Roberts and her team took between three and 10 samples from sand and water from each of 12 beaches along Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean.
Five of the beaches tested positive for MRSA bacteria, which were found in concentrated amounts on sand.
Roberts said she found a few traces of the germ that could be spread along the Pacific Northwest coast.
"This is the tip of the iceberg because we are only recovering 10 per cent of what's out there," she said. "If it's down in Washington it'll be up in Vancouver [because] we share these waters."
No testing for the bacteria has been done on B.C. beaches.
Dr. Perry Kendall, the province's chief health officer, said more research needs to be done before routine testing can be recommended.
"I wouldn't launch a public health inquiry right now, given that it's the end of the beach season, the weather's already pretty cold and I'd like to see what new information we get," he said.
Kendall would like to see what impact, if any, the presence of MRSA has on illness rates at the Washington beaches where it was found. And he questions how temperature differences between B.C. and Washington beaches would affect the presence of MRSA.
"There's a whole lot more information I think needs to be found before we go rushing off to do routine testing," he said.
Kendall is not advising anyone to avoid using B.C. beaches, but said it is always advisable to shower afterwards, particularly for children and people with cuts, scrapes or open sores.
MRSA can show up in the body in the form of an unusual rash, cough, a high fever, or breathing problems.
If a person already has cuts or sores, any contact with the contamination could lead to serious infection, Roberts said.
The most vulnerable would be children, who commonly play and dig in the sand or at the water's edge, and surfers, who often get cuts or abrasions from their activities.
"Surfers are vulnerable, and if you swim in it or drink in salt water, you could get a lung infection," Roberts said.
MRSA is found in both water and sand, but Roberts found concentrations of it in sandy areas.
"The sand acts like a filter, where molecules pass through the sand and the bigger amounts of bacteria stays on the sand."
Roberts said scientists have yet to determine if the bacteria shows up in certain seasons, or if it's often found on beaches used for specific purposes.
"The biggest thing we need is to get surveillance on how common it is. One of the beaches we tested was a free-run dog park, so that could be an issue."
mfhill@vancouversun.comaobrian@vancouversun.com© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
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