MRSA Goes to Washington; Deadly Staph Infection ‘Super Bug’ Found in Congressional Gym

No, it’s not a remake of the 1939 classic comedy starring Jimmy Stewart as a small-town man whose improbable ascent to national office exposed him to a seedy world of Washington, D.C. greed and corruption.

According to media reports, a Congressional staffer has contracted Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), a life-threatening “Super Bug” infection that is highly resistant to antibiotics, while exercising in a Capitol Hill gym.

The unnamed staffer belongs to the House Staff Fitness Center, where many lawmakers and their health-conscious staffers break a sweat in between approving billion-dollar stimulus packages.

The gym, which is not open to the public, has been scrubbed with a germ killer and cleared for use once again, officials said.

MRSA Infections Spreading

The fact that MRSA has turned up on Capitol Hill hopefully will serve to underscore the urgency of dealing with a life-threatening infection that has migrated from hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings into more common public areas.

Since MRSA is immune to many popular types of antibiotic drugs, treating it can be particularly tricky. MRSA infections most often result in nasty skin infections that can result in a boil. In some cases, the infection can progress to a flesh-eating virus that does severe and permanent damage. In the worst cases, MRSA infections are deadly.

Generally speaking, improper cleaning or sanitation of hospital examination room countertops, medical equipment, and other surfaces is to blame for spreading MRSA.

In recent years, health officials have noted that more MRSA cases were being reported in health clubs, locker rooms, military barracks, preschools, and other public areas after years of being detected mostly in nursing homes and hospitals. The germ can be spread from person to person anywhere large numbers of people are congregating or living together in close quarters.

Maybe now that MRSA has been found literally on Capitol Hill, national lawmakers will give more serious thought to how to battle the life-threatening infection across the United States.

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