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Article: Don't panic about minor cuts
- Article from:
- The Evening Standard (London, England)
- Article date:
- April 29, 2008
CopyrightCopyright 2008 Evening Standard - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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REPORTS over the weekend suggesting that an extra-virulent
version of the superbug MRSA is being passed on through the rough
and tumble of school playgrounds are bound to cause concern, but the
risks are tiny and there is no need for parents to change how they
deal with minor cuts and grazes.
As well as being resistant to many antibiotics, the latest strain
of MRSA produces a toxin (PVL) that kills the host's white cells. An
additional threat can mean the difference between a superficial skin
infection such as a boil or impetigo and a potentially fatal blood
infection that can kill within 24 to 48 hours.
Fortunately the odds of contracting a PVL-producing strain are
very small much less ...