Researchers Pinpoint Best Treatment to Reduce Deadly USA300, MRSA Staph ...( CORVALLIS Ore. Jan. 23 /- Accordi...)

CORVALLIS, Ore., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent College of Pharmacy study at Oregon State University, one type of over-the-counter product for minor wound care is substantially more effective than others in killing MRSA, including the virulent strain USA300. Scientists conducting the study compared three common over-the-counter wound care treatments for effectiveness against four strains of community acquired MRSA. Breaks in the skin, such as cuts and scrapes, are the most common entry point for the highly aggressive staph bacteria.

The new laboratory study showed that standard OTC antibacterial products are helpful for preventing common infections but only one product, Staphaseptic, made by Tec Laboratories, was effective in killing MRSA and the USA300 strain. The ointment-like gel, made with Benzethonium chloride, tea tree oil and white thyme oil, killed MRSA quicker and more effectively than the other compounds tested and had a sustained killing effect for 24 hours.

"We wanted to try these common OTC wound-treating products to see if they would kill a wide range of MRSA strains since MRSA has mutated significantly into more than one strain," said Oregon State's Dr. J. Mark Christensen, one of the authors of the study.

According to information from OSU, scientists there found that each of the products tested had some effectiveness, but only the Staphaseptic product had a genuine "bactericidal" effect -- meaning it reduced the number of bacteria by a factor of 1,000 -- against all four of the tested MRSA strains. The four strains tested were USA300-1, USA300-2, USA300-3, and USA400.

Also included in the testing were products made with neomycin and polymyxin; and another made with polymyxin and gramicidin. All three of the compounds used in the tests are widely available over the counter at national drug store chains. Staphaseptic is relatively new, while the other two are commonly found, with slight variations, in "
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