Monday, March 30, 2009

MRSA UPDATES

This last two weeks found me working on my newsletter, herbalYODA Says! that was published on March 26. The topic was "The Color of Health".

While I was researching material I found an abstract on the use of Blue Light for MRSA. This always is of interest to me because I have been cataloguing material on this topic since 1993.

"Blue, vibrating at 450-495 nanometers, represents communication. It is located in the throat and is associated with the thyroid or metabolic system in your body. Blue is the coolest, purest and deepest color of the spectrum. It will help with rest, relaxation, sleep and regeneration. Blue is a good color to help with high blood pressure, lowering your heart rate, reduce stress and nervousness, and will calm your entire body. Looking into the blue sky on a sunny day is very calming to me.

If you have headaches or sleeping difficulty, blue may help you. It also influences digestion, heart rate, cholesterol level, muscle strength and your mental state.

Using blue in meditation may be helpful and it can also be used to improve communication, aid spiritual growth and facilitate higher mental function. It is the color of your creative power and will support you in a state of peace and balance.

Blue light is suggested as a treatment for MRSA.

Blue 470-nm Light Kills Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Vitro

Chukuka S. Enwemeka, Ph.D., FACSM,1 Deborah Williams, M.D., Ph.D.,1,2 Sombiri K. Enwemeka,1 Steve Hollosi, D.O.,2 and David Yens, Ph.D.2

Abstract

Background Data: In a previous study, we showed that 405-nm light photo-destroys methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The 390-420 nm spectral width of the 405-nm superluminous diode (SLD) source may raise safety concerns in clinical practice, because of the trace of ultraviolet (UV) light within the spectrum.

Objective: Here we report the effect of a different wavelength of blue light, one that has no trace of UV, on two strains of MRSA-the US-300 strain of CA-MRSA and the IS-853 strain of HA-MRSA-in vitro. Materials and

Methods: We cultured and plated each strain, and then irradiated each plate with 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, or 60 J/cm2 of energy a single time, using a 470-nm SLD phototherapy device. The irradiated specimens were then incubated at 35°C for 24 h. Subsequently, digital images were made and quantified to obtain colony counts and the aggregate area occupied by bacteria.

Results: Photo-irradiation produced a statistically significant dose-dependent reduction in both the number and the aggregate area of colonies formed by each strain (p _ 0.001). The higher the dose the more bacteria were killed, but the effect was not linear, and was more impressive at lower doses than at higher doses.

Nearly 30% of both strains were killed with as little as 3 J/cm2 of energy. As much as 90.4% of the US-300 and the IS-853 colonies, respectively, were killed with an energy density of 55 J/cm2. This same dose eradicated 91.7% and 94.8% of the aggregate area of the US-300 and the IS-853 strains, respectively.

Conclusion: At practical dose ranges, 470-nm blue light kills HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA in vitro, suggesting that a similar bactericidal effect may be attained in human cases of cutaneous and subcutaneous MRSA infections.
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/pho.2008.2413?cookieSet=1"


Another new product tha's just come on the market, and proven effective against MRSA, is the Alli-C gel. Just click on the Alli-C bottle in the right hand column to order. Sales help support this BLOG.

As a related note, a reader was looking for information about headache from Humira. Blue light may help as noted above, however this is a reportable adverse reaction and the reader is advised to call your doctor to report it.

and not to forget the benefits of thorough handwashing -

Handwashing More Important Than Isolation In Controlling MRSA Superbug Infection, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (2009-03-31) -- Regular handwashing by hospital staff and visitors did more to prevent the spread of the MRSA superbug than isolating infected patients. The rates of cross infection with MRSA when patients were not moved to single rooms or nursed in separate MRSA bays were compared to the periods when patients were moved. There was no evidence of increased transmission of infection when patients were not moved. ... > read full article

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