Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

just
plain
tired

Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

Can someone give me the 411 on why boils and staph infections seem to be present among users and their children? I'm really concerned about how/why the children would even get boils if the parent is a meth user and did not use at home or around the children. Can someone explain to me the connection here and how/why some children get boils/staph if they are not around meth?
Thanks!!

JRS
HUBBY

Re: Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

Anyone can develop a Staph infection, although certain groups of people are at greater risk, including newborn infants, breastfeeding women, and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, vascular disease, and lung disease. Injecting drug users, those with skin injuries or disorders, intravenous catheters, surgical incisions, and those with a weakened immune system all have an increased risk of developing Staph infections.

Jennifers
mom

Re: Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

Okay, This is just a guess I am not a professional.
My guess is when someone is on meth. especially if they are manufacturing it, it will cause itchy sores. They then scratch the sores, and not washing their hands are probably transferring the germs to the children. If the children have any small scratch or anything the germs can get in and infect the area. Just a guess...

JRS
HUBBY

Re: Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

There are many causes of boils. Some boils can be caused by an ingrown hair. Others can form as the result of a splinter or other foreign material that has become lodged in the skin. Others boils, such as those of acne, are caused by plugged sweat glands that become infected.

The skin is an essential part of our immune defense against materials and microbes that are foreign to our body. Any break in the skin, such as a cut or scrape, can develop into an abscess should it then become infected with bacteria.

JRS
HUBBY

Re: Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

In my 5 yrs of smoking meth I never got a one (boils). The only people that I seen with them were IV users ? The only sores I ever got while using , was cold sores, and that was only when I snorted or swallowed it , never when I smoked it ?
With my experiance with the manufacturing , If you have a cut , or scrape anywhere on your body while you are making it . It will burn like hell and you will definately know where it is . I have not seen any boils or staph that were a result of making meth ?
I also said on another thread that I believe that the meth sores caused by picking , are possibly caused by the amount of lithium that is used in it ? The more lithium the more the picking ?
I dont believe that meth can be transferred by skin contact either .

just
plain
tired

Re: Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

The reason I am curious is because there seems to be quite a few children in our area that have boils that are very very hard to get rid of.... and as it turns out all of their parents are currently using or did use within the past year. I was just wondering if there was a connection or not. I don't believe any of the parents use via IV, but I am by far no expert on that. I was amazed to read that many users get boils or staff while using and wondered if this is another way using could possibley affect children living in the home.

MkU
smile

Re: Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

Look up MRSA on the internet, google or something. It's very very contagious and its probably being spread from the users to the kids and then from the kids to other kids.

GOLDI
LOCKS

Re: Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

MRSA or methicillin resistant staph infection is very common among drug users mainly due to their impaired immune system. Even if they don't exhibit boils they usually have various other infections or illnesses. Staph aureus is everywhere and if a user has it or MRSA then the household or any item they come in contact with (towels,bedding, door knobs,etc.) are a point of contamination and can easily spread to others in the same environment (ie. children etc.) Children are especially prone because they often do not use good handwashing and scratch,pick, or infect themselves if in a home with a person who has MRSA.

JUST
CATS

Re: Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

IMO it's, MRSA or staph being transferred by contact and no cleanliness/hand washing being done.

JRS
HUBBY

Re: Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

Im sorry but after spending most of last evening and this morning , reading the first couple dozen articles and sites googled up on MRSA. I will have to say that justcats has prolly the best answer ? From all that I read , there was only a couple of mentions of drug use (IV) ?

MRSA is also becoming a problem in pediatric settings,[48] including hospital nurseries.[49] A 2007 study found that 4.6% of patients in U.S. health care facilities were infected or colonized with MRSA.[50] One 2008 study concluded that men living in predominately gay ZIP codes in San Francisco are 13 times more likely to be infected by one strain of MRSA than their heterosexual neighbors. [51]

MRSA causes as many as 20% of Staphylococcus aureus infections in populations that use intravenous drugs. These out-of-hospital strains, or CA-MRSA, are more easily treated, though more virulent, than HA-MRSA. CA-MRSA apparently did not evolve de novo in the community but represents a hybrid between MRSA that spread from the hospital environment and strains that were once easily treatable in the community. Most of the hybrid strains also acquired a factor that increases their virulence, resulting in the development of deep-tissue infections from minor scrapes and cuts, as well as many cases of fatal pneumonia.[52]

By no means am I saying that any drug use around or with children is ok ! ITS NOT !! But to quote a wise man (sfj) "meth gets to much credit"

JRS
HUBBY

Re: Children of meth addicts have higher staph infection rate

This is a response I received .

Hi:

About the kids getting sores and boils: there are more than one type of staph (staphyllococcus) infection that causes boils or sores. Not all boils and sores are MRSA, but most of those type sores are staph infections.

Irregardless of the source of the sores in the parents, children living in homes with parents who are getting sores, but not using good cleaning techniques, are also likely to get sores. Sharing towels, washclothes, etc.. increase the risk of sharing bacteria. If the parents are involved in activities that increase their risk of infected sores, like locker rooms, and other close living spaces, it's not surprising that the children are getting secondarily infected.

Why are drug users getting infections? I'm sure there are many factors: are they immunocompromised? Are they exposed to other people's infections...close living conditions like barracks, jails, dorms, locker rooms, gyms etc...?or recent exposure to hospital/nursing home ? I don't think you can definately say that the reason that a child has sores is because their parents are drug users. That would be an unfair statement.

These infections are terrible, and the fact that they can spread should be a reason to keep educating all people on proper handwashing and good hygeine. I'm not sure what other questions you had, but I don't think we can comment on why children are getting sores in your area, except to say they are being exposed to bacteria and getting sores. I get the feeling that you are wanting to us to make the connection between drug use and sores in children, but we can't do that. I hope that the situation you are aware of will be resolved with good medical care and attention to proper hygeine.

Lori
Nurse in Detroit
Fighting MRSA for over 3 years!