Germs

Germs (not cooties) have been in the news a lot lately. A West Georgia college student is hospitalized here in Augusta due to a zip line accident that has ultimately led to multiple amputations. She remains in critical condition but has thankfully made some progress. She has been a victim of necrotizing fasciitis (also referred to as "flesh-eating bacteria.") This condition is caused by Group A Streptococcus (GAS)  which generally do not cause infections that lead to serious illness. But under certain conditions and/or with patients with weakened immune systems or other conditions, it can wreak havoc. The bacteria don't actually "eat" the flesh...they release a toxin into the tissue which can start a cascade of destruction of skin and muscle. Two more people in as many weeks have been treated for this same condition resulting from completely different circumstances, however.

I certainly would not make light of the seriousness of these folks' conditions and health struggles. On the contrary, I think, as 21st century folks, we have taken a pretty casual attitude towards certain health risks.

The era of germ theory as explanation for disease dates back to the 1800's ..some postulating similar explanations as early as the 1500's. Once physicians recognized that certain diseases were caused by microorganisms, medical treatments radically changed. Today we know that bacteria and viruses cause a host of illnesses. But once the medical community was able to identify causes and the discovery of penicillin and vaccines, many diseases that once could wipe out entire communities are almost completely eradicated. But that doesn't mean that the germs have gone away. And it doesn't mean that we can take for granted that they can no longer do us harm. It also doesn't mean that there aren't any other bad guys out there (or in there.)

On the one hand we are almost compulsive when it comes to antibacterial agents. We have hand sanitizers, antibacterial versions of hand soap, dishwashing detergent, laundry detergent, household cleaners, hand wipes, baby cleaning products and the list goes on and on. We are encouraged to wash our hands as often as reasonably possible since germs can spread through physical contact. I certainly don't want to shake hands with someone that has just sneezed into theirs.

But I am afraid that we have come to believe that we will no longer get seriously ill or infected by those spooky sounding bacteria and viruses. Influenza epidemics used to wipe out millions of people. Today we have given it the simple nickname...the flu. It's like a cold only more serious. If you have ever had a full blown version of the flu, you know what deathly sick feels like. People in the United States and other developed countries still die from influenza.

We also seem to take cuts, sores, and bruises pretty lightly. We have all that over-the-counter wound cleaning stuff (remember Bactine?) and Band-Aids so what's the big deal?

I've had my share of scares. A badly scraped lower leg resulting from unwisely trying to stretch a single into a double on the softball field became badly infected. My doctor also had an ultrasound performed to ensure that no blood clots had formed as a result of the trauma...I thought it was just a bad scrape.

A few years ago I found what looked like a spider bite on the inside of my leg down near my knee. The weird thing was that I had another one on the other leg in almost the exact same spot. I had recently slept in an old sleeping bag and I do sleep on my side sorta in a fetal position so I just assumed that the spider looked up and bit and then looked down and bit. The problem was that over the next several days I found "bites" all down my legs and the older ones went from itchy to painful like a bruise would feel. Prior to making an appointment with my doctor I did some research online, I found that it could certainly be multiple spider bites. But it could also be a staph infection and possibly the scary MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) a strain of the staph bacteria that does not respond well to commonly used antibiotics. Treatment confirmed that it was a staph infection. Left untreated. MRSA can result in necrotizing fasciitis.

If you get a cut, abrasion or a puncture wound, treat it as if it is going to get infected. Even a serious bruise can result in complications to include unleashing bacteria already in your body to begin the attack on the traumatized tissue.

Wash your hands often and keep your house cleaned with antibacterial cleaners. But, maybe more importantly,  also use good judgement when you get sick or injured. Germs are still out there and they still can hurt you.

July 12, 2012 UPDATE- Check out this article in the NY Times:  click here