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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
About 126 reported cases of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) - also known as "superbugs" - were reported by the end of August this year, according to the territory's chief public health officer.

Dr. Andre Corriveau said the health department began tracking "superbug" incidents in 2007 and there were “close to none” reported that year. - NNSL file photo

The Tlicho and Beaufort Delta regions had the highest number of cases.

Dr. Andre Corriveau said the health department began tracking incidents in 2007 and there were “close to none” reported that year.

In the past, cases were usually limited to hospitals and health care facilities, but now community members are infecting each other, he said.

“It used to hang around hospitals, it was seen in older people or those who had to go to hospitals on a regular basis,” Corriveau said. “Now it seems to be spreading person to person within communities rather than just within health care settings.”

The bacteria lives on skin and can enter the body through cuts, bruises and insect bites. Even a diaper rash can be at risk for infection.

“The bacteria on the skin doesn’t cause any problems, it’s when it gets under,” Corriveau said. “It has to get in a break in the skin to cause illness.”

It can also live on surfaces, enabling it to spread even more easily.

“In a crowded household where kids might share the bed, or towels in a locker room or at home, those germs can pass quite easily from one person to another,” he said.

Bedsheets or clothing that may have come into contact with an infected person should be washed and people shouldn’t share facecloths or towels, according to the health department. Frequent hand washing is also important.

This year, department staff noticed a spike in the number of infections in children under four years old.

Corriveau said there is always an increase of skin infections in children in the summer months due to increased outdoor activity.

However, he said this year, rates of MRSA have replaced the common infections usually seen in the summer.

Prevention

Corriveau said the key to prevention is keeping wounds clean to prevent infection.

But, he said children should be brought to the health centre early if they have scratches, bug bites or cuts that are red and swelling and don’t seem to be getting better.

Health care providers will diagnose the infection and prescribe antibiotics, if necessary, he said. They will also send a sample to a lab to be tested for MRSA.

He said health-care providers rely on a “recipe,” prescribing different drugs if the first fail.

If common antibiotics don’t work, then a different class of antibiotic would be used.

Corriveau said newer, synthetic antibiotics are being used to treat MRSA.

The new drugs are much more expensive, he said.

While generic antibiotics can sometimes be purchased for a few cents per pill, newer drugs can cost a few dollars per pill.

Corriveau said because diagnosis usually involves repeated visits to health centres and lab testing, those costs also increase.

He said while these costs will add up, it is still too early to tell how much MRSA will cost the territory.

“We can anticipate that yes, it will translate into increased costs,” he said.

The drugs also have more side effects than older antibiotics, such as diarrhea and rashes.

“Every antibiotic has its own range of side effects,” he said.

The health department is tracking treatment as well as prevalence throughout the regions, Corriveau said.

“Every case they diagnose, they have to report to us,” he said. “They see we get the lab report and some information on the treatment that has been used. We can track all of this over time.”

Numbers to decrease

Corriveau said he anticipates that rates will fall as winter approaches and escalated prevention methods begin to take effect.

“We should see a fairly quick reduction in numbers,” he said. “We’ll have to wait a couple months to really showcase that.”

He said new numbers could be available in mid-December.

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