Community Trends in Maricopa County, Mesa Arizona

Nicala Wood

I got to speak with Kerri, a Registered Nurse and Director of Infection, Control, and Prevention.  She works at the Arizona Regional Medical Center in Mesa, AZ.

She talked with me about the top five most common infectious diseases running around the community.

1. The first one she mentioned was Klebsiella.  Klebsiella can enter the respiratory tract to cause pnemonia, but it can also enter the blood and cause a bloodstream infection.  She told me the most common type in the community was the strain that enters the bloodstream.  She also informed me that this was highly contagious and there have been 11 deaths reported this year from it.  She also said a reason why this strain of bacteria is becoming increasingly prevalent, is because it is becoming resistant to treatment.

2.  The second infection Kerri told me about was MRSA, specifically affecting pregnant women.  This may be affecting pregnant women more because MRSA is most commonly acquired in hospitals and from contaminated surgical equipment.  It is becoming harder and harder to treat because the bacteria has mutated and become more resistant over the years.

3.  She also talked about Whooping Cough/Pertussis.  This disease is spread by coughing/sneezing in close contact with other people.  Kerri said that it is mainly affecting the older population; people over 50 years old.  The best way to prevent it is to get vaccinated.

4.  A fourth trend Kerri noticed was an increase in the incidence of Community Acquired Clostridium difficile.  There are a number of causes for this, and one of them being overuse of antibiotics.  This can cause the bacteria to become more resistant.  Kerri thought that we may be seeing a rise in CD due to the availability of antibiotics on the internet.

5. Lastly, Kerri discussed Staph infections.  Staph infecitons are one of the most common types of infections, originating from  staphylococcal bacteria.  This kind of bacteria enters the body through openings or wounds in the skin.  She said they are seeing staph infections in the community as a result of people 'shooting up' drugs.  Infections are always unfortunate to hear about, but especially when it is a result of drug use.

I enjoyed talking with Kerri and she was happy to answer my questions.  It was exciting to take Public Health topics out of the classroom and see it in real life, especially in a place that I call home.  I find it fascinating how infectious diseases differ from one area to another.  This assignment broadened my perspective!