......................................................................................................................................................

MRSA (pronounced 'mersa')

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus (“staph”) aureus and is a kind of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics.  About 25-30% of us carry staph on our bodies all the time and often without symptoms.  That is called being “colonized” and the bacteria can still be passed to others.  The spread of MRSA outside of the hospital often occurs through skin to skin contact and by contact with items that have been touched by someone with staph, such as used towels, gym equipment, and shared clothing.  MRSA infections often start by a small pimple or spider bite pustule and then become more painful and swollen. The spread of MRSA can be prevented by keeping open wounds covered with bandages at all times, not sharing personal items, cleaning athletic equipment between each use, and most importantly, through frequent careful handwashing.  Most campus buildings now have dispensers at doorways with instant hand sanitizer for student and staff use.  For more information go to www.mass.gov/dph .

HPV Vaccine Available at Health Services

This summer, the FDA approved Gardasil, a vaccine that will reduce infection with Human Papilloma Virus and the risk of cervical cancer. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection with studies indicating that a third or more of sexually intimate young women have been infected. Usually, there are no symptoms of infection; but HPV can cause genital warts and cervical cancer.

There are many strains (more than 100) of HPV but only a small number are responsible for genital warts and cancer. The new vaccine is protective against 4 strains: 6 and 11, which are responsible for 90% of genital warts, and 16 and 18, responsible for 70% of cervical cancer.

The vaccine is approved for girls/women between 9 and 26 years of age. Even if a woman has HPV infection (i.e. is sexually experienced and/or has had genital warts), she may choose to have the vaccine to prevent further infection.

The vaccine is available at Health Services at our cost of $125/dose. Three doses are required for protection. While many health insurances (including the Smith College Student Health Insurance) do not cover vaccines, many do (e.g. Harvard Pilgrim, Aetna and Cigna). You may want to call your insurance company to find if this vaccine is covered. If you are interested in receiving the vaccine, schedule an appointment with a nurse (x2823) to administer the vaccine.

Cancer.gov This is the National Institute of Health's cancer division.

Center for Disease Control The website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an excellent HPV questions and answers page.

HIV Testing Expanded

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently recommended that HIV testing become a standard practice in the health care setting. HIV testing is available at Health Services. To facilitate access to it, the cost of the test ($56) is now covered by our optional on campus health plan in addition to the Student Health Insurance Plan (if the test is done at Health Services). Students with private or other 3rd party insurance will be charged $56. You may schedule an appointment with a provider (x2823) for testing or ask to be tested as part of a visit scheduled for a different purpose.

Center for Disease Control The Center for Disease Control provides an excellent resource for information regarding HIV, including recommendations and guidelines, reports, and fact sheets.

Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings The latest recommendations for HIV Testing by the Center for Disease Control.

Avian Flu

Avian flu is an emerging infection of great concern. Currently, avian flu virus (H5N1) infects birds in a number of Asian and European countries. The virus has infected a small number of people with close contact with infected poultry. At present, the virus does not pass readily between humans. The concern is that the virus will mutate/evolve to make person to person transmission efficient, similar to current human influenza. In the event that occurs, a pandemic (worldwide epidemic) is likely.

While it is important to keep in mind that this is a potential concern, and that there is no spread of avian flu at present, it is advisable to be knowledgeable of this emerging health issue. Below are links to references that provide useful information regarding current knowledge.

PandemicFlu.gov This is the official U.S. government Web site for information on pandemic flu and avian influenza.

Center for Disease Control The website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention covers the topic of avian flu broadly and is updated as information warrants.

World Health Organization (WHO)This is the page from the World Health Organization, an international coalition monitoring health and disease around the globe. The site is updated frequently as new cases develop.

PBS's Wide Angle
Much useful information; the interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci is particularly recommended.

New England Journal of Medicine
This is a state of the art review of avian flu in a medical journal.

For Information of the regular flu, see our Influenza Fact Sheet