Another outbreak of MRSA has affected Coaches and players in yet another school system. Some 17 schools in the Virginias were closed for thorough cleaning because students and staff were exposed to this MRSA. MRSA is Methycillin Resistant Staph Aureus. According to the CDC, this is antibiotic-resistant (due to extreme overuse of antibiotics) and "other drugs" must be used.

So, when all else fails and things become difficult: Medline Plus, which is an online publication from the National Institutes of Health states that Tea Tree Oil which is the Melaleuca alternifolia or Australian tea tree oil reports that: Lab studies report that tea tree oil has activity against MRSA. It has been proposed that using tea tree oil ointment in the nose plus a tea tree body wash may treat colonization by this MRSA bacteria. They couch this statement saying there is not enough information from studies in humans to make recommendations for or against this use of tea tree oil.

So, I went out and bought a bar and a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Oil Soap. Smells interestingly (bad). But I decided to go along with the NIH statements. The CDC has been calling for decreased use of the old-fashioned antibacterial soaps because bacteria are getting resistant and are mutating rapidly and these soaps are of little or no use in really cleaning the hands. It would follow and make sense that doing the laundry in warm or even hot water (not hot enough to shrink clothing, but definitely hot water for towels and gym clothes...gym things should be washed after each wearing ) would make good sense. Using the alcoholic gel on hands for those over 6 years of age makes good sense also. According to the CDC, simple hand washing can prevent most of the MRSA infections. Here we go again, back to Dr. Semmelweis who washed his hands and had less infections in the newborn and the mothers. He was ridiculed by the medical profession of which he was part of, and literally driven out of practice. Ask you doctor if he washed his hands after seeing his last patient and before seeing you. If he gets miffed, my suggestion is to find a clean physician and clean office. Its really for your good health.