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Community Corner

More Coffee, Less Infection?

A recent study suggests that coffee and tea drinkers have lower risk of developing MRSA.

A recent study suggests that coffee and tea drinkers have one more reason to drink up.

Researchers from the University of South Carolina, Charleston, found that of more than 5,000 Americans in a government study, those who drank hot tea or coffee were about half as likely as non-drinkers to carry the antibiotic-resistant infection methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, in their nostrils.

“The two most common normal skin bacteria are Staphylococcus epidermidid and Staphylococcus aureus,” said T. Grant Phillips, MD, a family practice physician at The Washington Hospital. “MRSA is a special kind of Staphylococcus aureus in that it has developed resistance to certain antibiotics called beta-lactams. These antibiotics include methicillin, and other more common antibiotics, such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin.”

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This idea for this new research, which was reported in the July/August
2011 issue of
Annals of Family Medicine, came from the fact that, in both the lab dish and in humans, topically applied or inhaled tea extracts have shown some anti-MRSA activity, according to the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Eric M. Matheson of the University of South Carolina.

“While interesting, studies such as this need to be interpreted carefully,” Dr. Phillips explained. “This was a retrospective review where coffee and tea intake was correlated to nasal cultures positive
for MRSA. We do not know for sure if those people with a lower incidence of nasal carriage had fewer clinically important infections. It is plausible that they did, since there might be a higher risk of clinical infection in those with higher rates of nasal carriage, but this was not specifically studied.”

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Non-drinkers take note, however.

“This study does not suggest that non-drinkers should start drinking these beverages,” Dr. Phillips said. “Though the outcome of this study does seem to point in that direction, I don’t think it is conclusive enough to ask the entire country to change their beverage habits. This study also raises a lot of questions that we do not yet know the answers to, such as how much coffee do we need to drink for it to work, should the coffee be caffeinated or non-caffeinated, and over what time period must we drink these beverages.”

According to Dr. Phillips, there are nearly five cases of MRSA per 100,000 in the United States, although that number is variable, depending on location, and is not as important as the fact that recent data suggest that MRSA in the community is increasing.

“No one knows for sure why this is happening, but the consensus among experts is that this is due to a high use of antibiotics in the
general population that has occurred since the 1960s, and it is arguable that the misuse of antibiotics—those prescribed inappropriately for colds and viral illnesses, for instance—is a major factor,” Dr. Phillips said. “Even when antibiotics are used appropriately, they contribute to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria because they do not destroy every bacteria they target.”

MRSA, like most skin infections, is treated by draining the abscess if there is one, and with antibiotics, though not all patients will need antibiotics if the abscess is drained, according to Dr. Phillips. It is important to note, however, that not every antibiotic will kill every bacteria, as many bacteria, including MRSA, has developed resistance to certain antibiotics over the years.

There are a number of ways to prevent contracting MRSA, Dr. Phillips explained. These include:

  • Keeping your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub.
  • Keeping cuts and scrapes covered with a bandage until healed. 
  • Avoiding contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.
  • Avoiding sharing personal items such as towels or razors.

For more information about MRSA or how to prevent it, visit the Centers for Disease Controls website.

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