Spa Revealed As MRSA Outbreak Point Source
Regarding the recently reported increase in the number of community acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] skin infections, the Department of Health confirmed the fact that a ‘point source’ has been identified and that exposure from that source was believed to be limited to August and September of this year.
That point source has now been revealed to have been an as yet unidentified island spa. The Department of Health has confirmed that all staff at the spa have been tested and that only the point source tested positive for MRSA – all others were negative. Once the source was identified, the facility was closed and deep-cleaned and disinfected under the supervision of Environmental Health staff.
The person suffering the original infection will not be allowed to return to work until they have had two consecutive negative test results; the sufferer has been on a regime to eliminate the MRSA infection since being diagnosed.
While the Department of Health is actively calling people who may have been exposed to the infection at some point, they have said that it is important to note that asymptomatic people need not be tested.
Anyone who has a MRSA skin infection should do the following:
- Cover your wound. Keep wounds that are draining or have pus covered with clean, dry bandages until healed. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on proper care of the wound. Pus from infected wounds can contain staph, including MRSA, so keeping the infection covered will help prevent the spread to others. Bandages and tape can be discarded with the regular trash.
- Clean your hands frequently. You, your family, and others in close contact should wash their hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.
- Do not share personal items. Avoid sharing personal items, such as towels, washcloths, razors, clothing, or uniforms, that may have had contact with the infected wound or bandage. Wash sheets, towels, and clothes that become soiled with water and laundry detergent. Use a dryer to dry clothes completely.
For more information or if you suspect an MRSA infection please notify your doctor immediately for assessment.
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- Tai Home Spa Addresses MSRA Infection Issue | Bernews.com | October 15, 2013
Eeeeeew!
How was it transmitted, is it the foot spa, finger nail treatment, hair? with that knowledge we could have our loved ones pay special attention to that particular area
Is there another outbreak that people should be aware of considering this is just being announced AFTER the fact……
THIS (not directed at Bernews)is the type of stuff that should be published as soon as the problem arises and have the pulic made aware…..I would rather know this than who steals groceries…..
If this is as contagious as stated do you realise how quickly this could spread?…a parent could have taken it their home and infected their child and then the child could have taken it to school and passed it on to his peers and then that peer could have taken it to their home and not to mention the parent taking it to their place of employment…
Whilst I do know that we don’t live in a germ free environment (as you can also get sick just VISITING the hospital) a PSA can always serve as a form of prevention….
Sad that they are not able to mention the Spa….I know Bernews wouldn’t print it if I told you who they are but I have at least shared it with my friends so hopefully they will pass it on to people they know as well….
If you are so informed, can you answer my question with certainty?
it was in the media last week and they did say they were trying to identify the source
Nasty…
I just came from the spa yesterday and enjoyed my massage. To come on here today and read this. I know what spa this can be. After sitting in the waiting area after my massage and hearing staff talk about health dept. Now I am piecing it all together. I wished they would have told me before I got my massage, what was going on. Sitting there I was wondering why its not that busy there. I thought it was a little unusal.
I just hope they disinfected everything and that I am not one that comes up with this infectious skin disease.
I am so digusted today to read this!
Spill the bean then! What spa were you at yesterday?? I’m sure you stating the name won’t interfere with anything and will help all of us in protecting out health.
You do know MSRA can kill. Look up the videos of that ish on youtube.
Not pleased,you do not need a massage, it only feels good for a few minutes…. and look what the cost is….and it only lasts for a few minutes…..what a rip off….
Sounds like they need a man who can take 15 minutes out of his day to show an appreciation that will probably be returned.
Dept. of Health is at fault for concealing this from the general public. The public has a need to know! Why the secrecy!? They are causing more panic and distrust by not naming.
It would nice to know what spa as if it is the one we go to, we would like to go and get tested for MRSA
Bermuda is too small a place to keep a secret. You all should know which spa before the week is out!
I would imagine everyone will know by the end of today!
Yep; it’s probably on blast somewhere in FB right now!
The irony is, whichever spa it WAS, is now the cleanest and safest of the lot, having been thoroughly scrutinized and disinfected by the Dept of Health.
until they once again slip on hygienic protocols like the Chinese shops in the states. Sorry I learn from other peoples problems. I will never go there again.
Listen the Health Dept is very slack in its responsibilities, what a joke. Has anyone ever used a laundry facility in Bermuda? talk about dirt and dust? and the ironic part is, that’s a place where people go to make their clothes clean! They all should be shut down, until they are made to clean up. And the Gyms are the same way. I was asked to go to a certain gym one day with my friend, there was dirt, dust, spider webs in the corner and on just about every piece of equipment, yet people go there, they don’t seem to mind. What are the membership dues paying for? It is a wonder we are not all sicker on this Island.
Where are the health inspectors ? are they doing their job ? I will have to think twice about going to a spa again.Wow we are a third world country, think about it you go to a spa to reduce sress and you may have contracted some skin disease !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will reduce my stress with a dark and stormy.
To narrow it down without calling out a name, a media article states it is in Pembroke. That is pretty much any SPA (full Service including massages, manicures, pedicures, waxing) behind Dondonald Street, after king street or after Bermudiana road. There is ONLY 1.
u got it…
Actually there are two.
no more wax sack and crak lol
Hamilton is in Pembroke, so I am not sure if you can make that assumption…unless you are trying to tell us which one it is.
Icandowhatiwant…is spot on
A most unhappy ending.
exactly Downderoad
There’s only one Spa in the central area.
Minister Gordon Pamplin, please let us know which spa this is. Don’t let the health dept keep this a secret. I read in the Nassau tribune(or the guardian) today about a similar “flesh eating disease” down in the Bahamas! Let’s not be naive here. This can cause problems in our community.
There was an outbreak of this in the states a few years ago all because the ‘waxer’ at the spa didn’t change the wax in between uses. Therefore the bacteria built up….. Yikes!
I know I have MRSA and I work at the hospital. Heck most of us there prob have it! As long as you are healthy you can get rid of it yourself. If you have wounds or a sore it shows down the healing process.
Where the hell is our health minister on this issue (mrsa ) she seems to be very quiet lately….she is our health MINISTER… she needs to come out and tell us what the hell is going on….and I also wonder if you can contract this skin problem at K.E.M.H.
My grandmother went into KEMH for pneumonia, died from a bacterial infection she got in the hospital. I recently this summer dove off some rocks and hit a sand bar I didn’t see with my neck, spat up blood for 15 mins and instead of going to the hospital you know what I did? Got a rum swizzle. Thank you for enforcing the reason I won’t set foot in KEMH unless I’m unconscious.
So rather than state the Spa you are saying it could be any of them…guess I won’t be going to ANY of them anytime soon! MORONIC!
Exactly. To protect the identity of 1, you are destroying the reputation of ALL as consumers must speculate which 1 it was. If I had an appointment at any SPA in Pembroke, I would be cancelling right now.
Spa has MRSA bug, Can’t tell you which one. Woman gets raped, can’t tell you who did it. Child gets abused, can’t tell you who did it. What is wrong with this picture! Are we getting good and bad mixed up?
Well another media names the spa. Not sure if they will get into trouble. But now that spa is probably the most sanitary spa in Bermuda, tested and confirmed. At least now those people who may have come into contact with the infected masseuse can check for symtoms and warn people who they have been in direct contact with.
It is really very sad. Another media names the Spa while the Government is still holding on to the idea of not publishing the name. What foolishness.
By the way, I thank God every day that I do not have to go to ANY Laundromat.
Like many people, I immediately put two-and-two together and figured out which spa it was. There are only two in Pembroke and I knew it wasn’t the one at that ritzy place that shall remain unnamed.
I just went past that spa the other day and was considering going there for a facial. I went online and it looked really good but it didn’t offer the kind of facial I wanted so I passed-THANK GOD. I feel icky just thinking about what I could have picked up there.
You’d expect to find MRSA in a hospital but a spa? Actually, it took forever for MRSA to get here and it arrived here from overseas-either through a patient hospitalized overseas or through a foreign staff member. Interestingly enough, MRSA has been found on all kinds of medical equipment including stethoscopes! Anyway, my point is that this stuff is coming to our shores from overseas…is there any kind of screening that can be done for this? They screen foreign workers for stuff like TB; should this be added to the list?
I know I’ll be attacked for foreigner bashing but we have guest workers coming here from all kinds of third world countries where all kinds of disease is rampant. I’m not worried about the guest worker from the U.S., Canada, U.K. etc. but when we bring in this cheap labour from third world nations what exactly are we bringing in? There’s a reason we have to get shots up the whazoo when we go to visit these places, yet these people can seemingly come here willy-nilly…that is scary! When one catches MRSA from a darn spa in Bermuda, something is really wrong with that picture!
While I’m at it, let me say how disgusted I am with the Dept. of Health! They need to stop playing God and let people make their own decisions! Who are they to say that they won’t name an establishment for fear of ruining their reputation? Give the public the information, including the fact that they think the problem has been resolved and let the public then decide what they want to do! It’s not up to them to decide for us!
Also, they need to do something about the nasty habits of restaurant workers…again, most of them foreign. Just the other day I was in a certain cafe and saw the sandwich guy blow his nose into his gloved hands, wipe his gloved hands and then continue making sandwiches! I wrote an email to the manager but I don’t know what happened…however this bee passed on getting her buzz on that day. I’ve seen tons of nasty stuff like this. Some people seem to think just because they have gloves on, that anything goes. Bacteria can stick to the gloves just as easily-or maybe even more so-than one’s hands! That crap is nasty!
I bet, the now named salon, is the safest on the island at this point! I’m sure it has put everyone on high alert and all salons will be as sterile as is possible. My sympathies to the infected clients and the therapist. I wonder the original source of infection?
http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/02/20/jac.dkr024.full.pdf
Just letting you know your money has MRSA on it too.