MRSA

Question

Hi Muko-team,

We have friends with a daughter who suffered from CF and died. She harboured MRSA! My parents have close contact with her parents after the death of the daughter and I fear that MRSA can also contaminate me, who has also CF. Is such a contamination possible? Is this a danger for me?

Greetings

Answer

Hello,

Epidemiological investigations in CF-families showed that detection of Staphylococcus aureus in noses of CF-patients was often correlated with a positive detetion of the same type of Staphylococcus aureus in noses of the respective parents [1]. Thus, it is possible that within a family with a close contaft between family members , exchange of MRSA occurs. If the parents of the dead CF patient harbourt also MRSA in their noses, it is theoretically also possible that the bacterium is trasmitted via their hands to your parents and from their you may be contaminated and finally you may contaminate all your contact persons. However, from a practible standpoint, I do not believe in this transmission, because with each healthy contact person the risk of transmisssion decreases. However, if you would like to be 100% sure, I would recommend that your parents let their noses investigate at the local CF centre or a certified microbiological institute for the pathogen.

I hope that this helps you.
Sincerely yours,
Prof. Gerd Döring

[1] Goerke C, Kraning K, Stern M, Döring G, Botzenhart K, Wolz C. Molecular epidemiology of community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus in families with and without cystic fibrosis patients. J Infect Dis 2000; 181:984-9

02.04.2010