Officials urge calm, vigilance over staph infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that lives on the skin and in the nose of humans, and is unknowingly carried by millions of people. It can cause infections of the skin, in the blood, in the bones, and in the lungs. It has become resistant to a wide range of antibiotics, including penicillin-related antibiotics. (CDC)

As New York health officials asked for educators' help in watching for an antibiotic-resistant staph infection, they and colleagues in Illinois and Florida also called for calm. Doctors and other health officials said most infections can be treated successfully and the cases are part of a slowly growing trend rather than a sudden outbreak. Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.) (10/26) , Chicago Tribune/Associated Press (free registration) (10/25) , Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (10/24)