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MRSA bacteria found in more than half of Wash. fire stations tested

Easy-to-use testing kits confirm firefighters and medics are transferring MRSA from ambulance into living quarters, as well as becoming infected themselves

King5

SEATTLE — More than half of the 33 fire stations taking part in a survey tested positive for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) somewhere the building.

The survey also found that roughly a third of the stations had at least one employee who tested positive for the antibiotic resistant strain of staph bacteria. Professor Marilyn Roberts with the University Of Washington School Of Public Health organized the study three years ago after discovering MRSA in both fire houses she tested in Western Washington.

She designed MRSA testing kits and sent them to 33 stations around the state.

Read Full Story: MRSA kits reveal trouble in fire stations

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