Reuters AlertNet Lite - Japan boy dies from "superbug" infection-Kyodo

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Japan boy dies from "superbug" infection-Kyodo

02 Apr 2007 05:17:25 GMT
Source: Reuters

TOKYO, April 2 (Reuters) - A Japanese infant died of pneumonia after being infected with a bacteria resistant to medicines, the first death from the deadly superbug outside of hospitals where it usually occurs, Kyodo said on Monday.

The death of the one-year-old boy last year from MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, highlighted the danger of the bacteria spreading through communities, the news agency said.

MRSA occurs most frequently in patients with weakened immune systems in hospitals and nursing homes.

His death is the first in Japan due to community-associated MRSA, or infections by the bacteria outside of hospitals, Kyodo said.

Community-associated MRSA has already become a concern in Europe and the United States.

Officials at the hospital where the infant was treated could not be reached for comment on the news report.

So far, most of the types of community-associated MRSA found in Japan were strong enough to cause skin rashes, but there have been some cases in which people suffered seriously due to highly virulent strains of the bacteria, Kyodo said.

The infant was treated with antibiotics after being diagnosed with pneumonia, but died about 10 days later, and the antibiotics-resistant bacteria was found in his blood sample, doctors who treated him were quoted as saying.

The MRSA found in his blood was a highly virulent one capable of producing a substance that kills white blood cells, the doctors added.

It is not known how the boy was infected with the bacteria, but it has been believed that people could be infected through skin contact during sports and communal life, Kyodo said.

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Last updated:Mon Apr 2 05:18:40 2007