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DALLAS, Mar 01, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A staph infection that is resistant to treatments and could be deadly if not caught, is striking several U.S. jails and could spread to the general public.
The Dallas County Jail has seen incidences of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureaus increase drastically. From November through January the jail reported 682 confirmed cases, the Dallas Morning News said, adding staff members and guards are also being affected.
Jails in Los Angeles and Palm Beach, Fla., have also reported outbreaks, the newspaper said. The disease usually shows up as a boil or sore on the skin and is spread through contact with an infected person or a surface the person has touched. MRSA can attack internal organs and become deadly if not treated.
However, a problem is that many antibiotics do not work against the disease.
"The concern is that as it resists more and more antibiotics, we'll eventually have no treatment at all," Dr. Steven Bower, medical director at the Dallas County Jail, told the Morning News.
The newspaper said jailors in Los Angeles have taken to isolating prisoners who have MRSA to limit chances for the disease to spread.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International.
