'Superbug' discovery on beaches prompts warning

By: shannond | September 28th, 2009 at 11:09am

"Vancouver public beaches should be tested for dangerous staph bacteria after it was found in sand and water at five public beaches along the coast of Washington, according to a University of Washington researcher who made the discoveries.

The MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a bacteria once rarely seen outside of hospitals. It is known as a 'superbug' because of its resistance to antibiotics.

University of Washington microbiology professor Marilyn Roberts and her team took between three and 10 samples from sand and water from each of 12 beaches along Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean."

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