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Welcome!
Thank you for visiting my website. As your commissioner, one of my goals is to improve communication with the community. This website is an opportunity for us to achieve that goal. Visit the website frequently to learn about issues not only in Ward 14, but also, throughout Lower Merion Township. |
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Common Questions and Answers about MRSA
What is MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)?
Some staph bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. MRSA is a type of staph that is resistant to antibiotics called beta-lactams. Beta-lactam antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin.
Who gets staph or MRSA infections?
Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities who have weakened immune systems.
What is community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA)?
MRSA infections that are acquired by persons who have not been recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure are known as CA-MRSA infections. Staph or MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people.
How common are staph and MRSA infections?
Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infection in the United States and are a common cause of pneumonia, surgical wound infections, and bloodstream infections.
What does a staph or MRSA infection look like?
Symptoms of MRSA include, among others, redness (with or without pus or other drainage), swelling, increased pain, and fever.
Are certain people at increased risk for community-associated staph or MRSA infections?
The CDC has investigated clusters of CA-MRSA skin infections among athletes, military recruits, children, men who have sex with men, and prisoners, among others. Factors that have been associated with the spread of MRSA skin infections include: close skin-to-skin contact, openings in the skin such as cuts or abrasions, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions, and poor hygiene.
How can I prevent staph or MRSA skin infections?
Practice good hygiene:
• Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
• Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.
Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.
Can I get a staph or MRSA infection at my health club?
The environment has not played a significant role in the spread of MRSA. MRSA is transmitted most frequently by direct skin-to-skin contact. You can protect yourself from infections by practicing good hygiene (see above); using a barrier (e.g., clothing or a towel) between your skin and shared equipment; and wiping surfaces of equipment before and after use.
What should I do if I think I have a staph or MRSA infection?
See your healthcare provider.
Are staph and MRSA infections treatable?
Yes. Most staph and MRSA infections are treatable with antibiotics. If you are given an antibiotic, take all of the doses, even if the infection is getting better, unless your doctor tells you to stop taking it. Do not share antibiotics with other people or save unfinished antibiotics to use at another time.
If after visiting your healthcare provider the infection is not getting better after a few days, contact them again.
If other people you know or live with get the same infection tell them to go to their healthcare provider.
Is it possible that my staph or MRSA skin infection will come back after it is cured?
Yes. It is possible to have a staph or MRSA skin infection come back (recur) after it is cured. To prevent this from happening, follow your healthcare provider’s directions while you have the infection, and follow the prevention steps after the infection is gone.
Factors that could increase the risk of MRSA:
• History of MRSA infection
• History in the past year of:
o Hospitalization
o Admission to a long term care facility (nursing home, skilled nursing, or hospice)
o Dialysis and end-stage renal disease
o Diabetes mellitus
o Surgery
o Permanent indwelling catheters or medical devices that pass through the skin into the body
o Injection drug use
• High prevalence of MRSA in the local community
• Recent and/or frequent antibiotic use
• Close contact with someone known to be infected with MRSA
• Recurrent skin disease
• Crowded living conditions (e.g., homeless shelters)
• Incarceration
• Infection among sports participants who have:
o Skin-to-skin contact
o Pre-existing skin damage
o Shared clothing and/or equipment
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Newsflash |
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The following was published in the Main Line Life and Main Line Times:
LOWER MERION– Since the first permanent buildings were constructed hundreds of years ago in what would be called Lower Merion Township, men and women were counted on to fight fires in a non-paid, volunteer system.But now, some are worried that the long honored tradition of volunteer firefighters leaving jobs and families around the clock is threatened.
"The volunteer system as we know it is failing," Lower Merion Commissioner Lance Rogers said by phone last week. "What we in the township want to do is keep the volunteer system in place."
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Read more...
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At this year's Firefighter Challenge, the Penn Wynne Fire Company took first place. The following was published in the June edition of the Township publication "The Chatterbox":
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Read more...
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Meet Penn Wynne's newest volunteer firefighter, attorney Brad Remick. At the age of 44, Brad felt the need to serve his community as a volunteer firefighter.
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Read more...
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I've established an e-mail alert system to keep you
informed of:
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Neighborhood Safety
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Road Closures
- Meetings, Town Events, and Announcements
- Areas where we need to work together
To stay informed, please enter your email address. Privacy.
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Contact Lance Rogers by phone at
(610) 649-1880
or by
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