AEGiS-SFE: The 3-minute interview: Anthony Fauci San Francisco ExaminerImportant note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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The 3-minute interview: Anthony Fauci

San Francisco Examiner - October 23, 2007
Courtney Mabeus

WASHINGTON - Dr. Anthony Fauci directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda. The institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, researches infectious, immunologic and allergic diseases. Fauci, who has directed the institute since 1984, is a 1966 graduate of Cornell University Medical College. He is an adviser to the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services on global AIDS issues and emerging infectious diseases.

Fauci spoke to The Examiner about the recent outbreak of an antibiotic-resistant strain of staph infections in public schools.

What do you make of this outbreak?

The prevalence of MRSA [methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria] has been steadily increasing. ... There is a real increase ,but this increase isn't acute as of yesterday.

Why do you think it appears to be affecting children disproportionately?

The reason is whenever you have one of predisposing conditions allowing easy spread, it is what we call "crowding." You get a bunch of kids, they play with each other, they touch each other. ... It makes for an easier spread. Staph lives on skin. That's the reason why many infections start as a boil.

What should we be paying attention to?

What accelerates it is the inappropriate use of antibiotics. ... That's a root cause that kind of transcends everything. Having said that, once you've established the fact that there are resistant microbes around, how do you block the spread? You do that by good hygienic processes. We need physicians to be more careful in when they prescribe and what they prescribe. ... It's really an education and awareness situation.


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