Dear Friend,

As you read this, a killer is stalking the wards of our hospitals. And if you need medical treatment, you could well become its next victim.

I'm talking about MRSA (methicillin-resistant Stapylococcus aureas). Most MRSA infections are skin infections that produce the following signs and symptoms:

    * Cellulitis (infection of the skin or the fat and tissues that lie immediately beneath the skin, usually starting as small red bumps in the skin),
    * Boils (pus-filled infections of hair follicles),
    * Abscesses (collections of pus in under the skin),
    * Sty (infection of eyelid gland),
    * Carbuncles (infections larger than an abscess, usually with several openings to the skin), and
    * Impetigo (a skin infection with pus-filled blisters).

The major problem with MRSA is that occasionally the skin infection will spread to almost any other organ in the body. When this happens, more severe symptoms develop. MRSA that spreads to internal organs can become life threatening. Fever, chills, low blood pressure, joint pains, severe headaches, shortness of breath and a "rash over most of the body" are symptoms that need immediate medical attention, especially when associated with skin infections.

But the worst thing about this virus is that it can become resistant to penicillin and its superior cousin, methicillin. When it does become resistant to such antibiotics, very few other treatments work.

In many cases, the only cure is your own body’s defence system. If it can’t cope with the virus, you’ll die. Hospitals are rife with the bug because that’s where antibiotics are most intensively used and where the virus develop their immunity. Often, hospital staff are carriers of the bug, without realising it.

Believe me – you don’t want this bug!

In the UK alone, cases of MRSA have increased by 600% in the last decade. Last year there was a 3.6% rise in reported cases… And 800 MRSA-related deaths. This has been put down to deteorating hygiene and overcrowding - not something altogether uncomming in SA.

There’s currently no known vaccine for MRSA. But the fact is, you can’t let this evil microbe scare you away from the medical treatment you pay for and deserve.

Here are some MRSA busting tips for you and your loved ones, should you need to spend any length of time as a hospital patient…

Don’t even THINK about checking-in until you’ve read these six MRSA-busting tips…

1) Do some homework on the hospital… It could save your life!
Overcrowded hospitals are providing a breeding ground for MRSA. Numerous studies have shown there;s a direct correlation between overcrowding and infection rates, so make sure you check the occupancy rates of your hospital before you go.

2) Where possible, ask for a single room:
You’re at greater risk if you share a room with someone else. Wherever possible, ask to have a room to yourself.

3) Challenge staff over hygiene:
Doctors, nursing staff and orderlies are trying their best in overcrowded, underfunded conditions. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to challenge them over whether they’ve washed their hands or cleaned properly. After all, this is your life we’re talking about!

Be vigilant, and speak out if you think the proper procedures aren’t being followed.

4) Get friends and family to clean too:
When it comes to a life threatening superbug, sometimes the only people you can trust to keep things spotless are your nearest and dearest! Ask your visitors to give room surfaces a dust and a quick once-over with an alcohol-soaked cloth.

5) If it’s safe to do so, reduce your stay in hospital:
Infections caught during treatment in hospitals are estimated to kill 5,000 patients a year and affect around 100,000 in the UK alone. If it’s at all possible to do so without hindering your treatment and recovery, then try to limit your hospital stay to the shortest possible time.

6) Be extra careful with heart ailments and joint operations!
Initial evidence shows that the heart units have some of the highest MRSA levels. Dr Paul Donaldson, infection control officer at Countess of Chester Hospital also says: “Infection in replacement joints is quite high too”.

Remember, your health has to be your top priority - stand your ground and make sure hospital staff are saving your life, NOT threatening it!

In the name of happiness,

Your Insider