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fter an in depth study conducted by the Texas A&M Health Science Institute of Biosciences and Technology, a toxin was discovered in the bacteria of one of the most virulent forms of staph. It was also found that the staph strain and its toxin are factors in the contraction of a severe form of pneumonia that can be fatal within seventy-two hours. The study was published in Science Express and in the journal Science.

The Strain of Staphylococcus

The kind of staphylococcus bacteria that causes the deadly pneumonia is known as CA-MRSA or community associated- methicillin resistant Staphylococcus Aureus strain. The CA-MRSA produces the Panton Valentin leukocidin toxin and this makes the pneumonia kill within 72 hours. The scenario was confirmed by M Gabriela Bowden, PhD, co-author of the study, presents the eventuality that the CA-MRSA strain would come up in the health care setting. This would decimate the patient population because of the compromised immune systems and the lack of antibiotics to suppress or eradicate MRSA and its pneumonia.

The Background of MRSA

The Staphylococcus Aureus is a bacteria that inhabits the skin and nasal region of about thirty percent of the population. When the bacteria enters the skin, the result can be relatively simple outbreaks of pimple or boils. If the bacteria enters the bloodstream, it can cause major diseases such as meningitis, endocarditis, sepsis, toxic shock syndrome and pneumonia. In the 1940s, staphylococcus aureus was suppressed by penicillin but due to the unhealthy practice of stopping medication when symptoms abate created a form of the bacteria resistant to penicillin.

MRSA resulted from the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Since not all the bacteria is killed off prior to weaning from antibiotics, when one stops the medication, the remaining bacteria flourish. This practice created the drug resistant strain of staph, called MRSA. CA-MRSA is another more potent strain for it had developed outside the medical healthcare setting.

The Onset of MRSA Pneumonia

CA-MRSA initially causes serious skin and soft tissue infection resulting in redness and abscess build up. When the CA-MRSA enters the bloodstream and enters the lungs, the bacteria produces the PVL toxin. This results in MRSA pneumonia as the bacterium attacks the infection fighting white blood cells called leukocytes. This builds up fluid in the lungs, affecting its capacity to produce much needed oxygen for the body. The built up fluid causes pneumonia and since there is no known antibiotic remedy for the infection, lung failure results within seventy-two hours. This is the fatal form of lung failure called necrotizing pneumonia.

Some of the symptoms before the onset of MRSA pneumonia come after a bout with influenza. This stems from the fact that the MRSA has entered the bloodstream and is now attacking other soft tissue organs in the body. After the flu, there is a remission and then the pneumonia sets in. The numbers are staggering, with those who recovered from the influenza twice as likely to die from MRSA pneumonia. Some are left undiagnosed and succumb to lung failure within 72 hours. The difficulty presented is the common nature of the symptoms, often misdiagnosed, newer strains of MRSA cropping up, poor penetration into the cell lining fluid of epithelials and the lack of effective antibiotics makes the MRSA pneumonia one of the silent killers today.

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