News Moms Need » bite

Once when I was a kid, I was riding my bike, and a neighbor’s dog ran out and bit me on the leg. I cried all the way home. I love dogs, but I also respect them.

Next week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Thanks to dog vaccinations  and other public health efforts, rabies is rare in the United States. But it’s still a serious concern. And dog bites can also cause infection and serious injury.

Here’s what you and you family can do to protect yourselves from dog bites:

   * Don’t approach an unfamiliar dog.

   * Don’t run from a dog or scream when you’re around a dog.

   * Be “still like a tree” if an unfamiliar dog approaches.

   * If a dog knocks you down, roll into a ball and lie “still like a log.” 

   * Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.

   * Don’t disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies.

   * Before petting a dog, let it see and sniff you.

   * Report stray dogs or dogs acting strangely to your local animal control agency.

For more information, read Dog Bite Prevention on the Web site of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Your local TV station or newspaper may have run a scary story about MRSA (pronounced “mer-sa”). This skin infection is hard to treat and can even be deadly. But you and your family can take a few simple steps to protect yourselves from MRSA.

About 9 out of 10 MRSA infections happen when a person is in a hospital. But others occur as people go about their daily lives. For example, a towel infected with MRSA touches a scrape on a person’s arm.

MRSA infections often occur where there is a cut or scrape. They may also appear on a part of the body that is covered by hair, such as the back of the neck. Crowded conditions can help spread MRSA. Examples: Day care centers, locker rooms.

MRSA can sometimes cause serious problems. Examples: Pneumonia, infections of the bloodstream.

What Can My Children and I Do to Reduce the Risk of MRSA?
Wash your hands often with soap and water. Or use a hand sanitizer that contains alcohol.

Keep cuts and scrapes clean.

Cover cuts and scrapes with clean, dry bandages until they heal.

If you have a cut, always put dirty bandages in the trash. Wash your hands after handling dirty bandages.

Don’t touch the cuts or skin infections of other people. Also, don’t touch their bandages.

Don’t share personal items that come into contact with skin. Examples: Towels, razors.

When Should I Be Concerned About a Skin Infection?
Most skin infections are minor and easily treated. The skin may be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or oozing. The infection may look like a pimple, a boil or a bite.

Important: If a skin infection doesn’t get better, call your health care provider. The infection may be MRSA. Special treatment is needed.