Haaretz: Deadly MRSA bacteria spreads in Gaza

Deadly MRSA bacteria Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported that a joint initiative by Israeli and Palestinian scientists has identified what is thought to be a unique strain of the MRSA bacterium is becoming common in Gaza City. The website said that Israeli-Palestinian team has been observed that the dangerous MRSA bacteria was discovered in tests conducted on 300 children and 300 of their parents.
Scientists identified the MRSA bacterium in 15 percent of those tested, but also noted that it was not the virulent USA300 strain. It was, in fact, a strain that has been identified in European hospitals, but in Gaza it is present in the general community. This strain, which tends to cause skin abscesses and infections was not identified in the West Bank in subsequent testing. The researchers also noted a connection between the risk of contagion and having a pet cat.
The medical team is considering how dangerous the virus is. Studies show that in 2009 about 117,000 citizens
were infected with this type of deadly bacteria around the world, about 9000 of whom died.