MRSA—What is it, how to avoid being contaminated.

A recent outbreak of MRSA at University of Pittsburgh’s Medical Center Children’s Hospital had people talking about the infection’s scariest attribute: It’s resistance to antibiotics. This tenacious staph infection affected 12 people in the intensive care unit—six of them babies—raising concerns about the bacteria’s contagiousness and apparent invulnerability. Fortunately, the disease can be treated, though it may be difficult to do depending on the location of the infection on the patient’s body. Here, we’ll break down what MRSA is, the symptoms you should be looking out for, and how to prevent it.

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is a highly contagious staph bacteria that infects the skin and resists numerous antibiotics—including methicillin, which once successfully treated staph infections. In the past, doctors over-prescribed penicillin-related antibiotics like methicillin, allowing the bacteria to develop a heightened tolerance for them. Now treatment typically involves drainage of the infected area, culture testing of pus from the wound and stronger antibiotics. Though the infection is relatively uncommon—94,000 Americans are affected each year, and 19,000 die—two out of 100 people carry MRSA, according to the CDC.  The bacteria do not usually cause a serious infection in carriers, but it can develop in others if it enters their bloodstream.

Symptoms arise when a red, swollen abscess appears on the body. It tends to look volcanic, with a white bump appearing between an area of reddened skin. Touching it will cause pain, but if you suspect you have the infection, gently feel the abscess to check if its emanating heat. If it is, you’re likely affected by a bacterial strain of some kind, and should seek a doctor for consultation. Pus and other drainage will likely ooze out of the affected area, and you’re likely to develop a fever. Although these symptoms are associated with MRSA, recognizing them on your body does not necessarily mean you have developed this specific infection. Only a doctor can make that distinction. While you don’t need to make a trip to the emergency room, you’ll want to make an appointment quickly. If left to fester, MRSA will infect the matter beneath the wound, which can result in a life-threatening situation. You will need to cover the abscess immediately, however. The bacteria will spread to every surface is touches, raising the chances that you will infect someone else.

Though MRSA is highly contagious, prevention is relatively easy. Washing your hands thoroughly—especially after hospital visits—will deter the infection almost entirely. Make sure you scrub them for 15 seconds and you use soap. Hand disinfectr brands with an alcohol content of at least 60 percent will also help you kill the bacteria. Of course, you’ll also need to cover up open wounds. A clean bandage will do, but make sure you change them regularly. While these instructions seem obvious, it is critical that you follow them because of how effective MRSA is at sticking to surfaces for lengthy periods of time. Depending on the type of material, the bacteria will remain for several days, weeks and even months. Washing your hands and covering your wounds will do much to quell the spread of the infection. You should also avoid sharing personal items like towels, razors, clothing and cosmetics. Because MRSA abscesses will spread germs to any item it touches, the bacteria will enter your bloodstream through open wounds and orifices if you are not careful.

            Bio-One is happy to answer any questions you have about preventing the spread of MRSA. Our phone lines are open 24/7/365.

Not many people know that biohazard cleanup companies like Bio-One exist. Clients turn to us during moments of crisis in their lives, and hence, don’t usually discover who we are until they require a service. This lack of awareness is understandable. People don’t expect awful tragedies like homicide and suicide to affect their families. But the resulting unfamiliarity can generate mystique around our role here at Bio-One. It’s true that we specialize in crime scene cleanup and decontamination services. We also remove clutter in hoarding situations, eradicate stubborn odors and disinfect property tarnished by animal waste. But in our view, the role of Bio-One is more involved than that. We are here to help you during your time of greatest need. So we treat our jobs like first responders do, prioritizing the people in our communities when they need us most.

That’s why we’re always on stand-by. If you need to reach out to us, our phone lines are always open, no matter what time of the day it is. When you give us a call, we’ll immediately connect your request to the nearest team of cleanup technicians so that they can proceed in assisting you. Why does our perpetual availability matter to us? Because we never want someone to feel like they must confront a painful and daunting situation by themselves. We’re always ready to step in so you can focus on healing.

But consistency is not enough. For our clients, the road to recovery requires a rapid response on our part. We share your sense of urgency and understand that you need your property restored promptly. Our teams strive to arrive on site within an hour. In most situations, we don't collect payment until after a job has been completed. It’s the least we can do to ensure your needs are met first and foremost. That’s why our company motto is “help first, business second.” We prioritize your well-being over our bottom-line. When prices are discussed, you’ll notice that 95 percent of the work we do is covered by insurers. This coverage makes us one of the most affordable cleanup crews in town.

We also pride ourselves on being the most compassionate company in the industry. When you contact Bio-One, we are duty-bound to protect your privacy and provide you with superior customer service. We’ll arrive on site in unmarked vans to keep the job discrete. Moreover, our decontamination teams are trained to help you through a difficult situation. Not only will the service we provide be efficient and effective, it will be conducted in a manner that’s respectful of you, your family and your home. Your satisfaction is our guarantee.

Bio-One is also here to keep you safe. Biohazardous materials that are not properly disinfected create significant health risks. They are also dangerous to clean up, requiring specialized equipment designed to protect the user from unwanted viruses, noxious fumes and physical hazards. Proper sanitation requires an exhaustive process that only the professionals are qualified to handle. We dispose of biohazardous materials in accordance with state law to protect people and the environment from harmful toxins. You also don’t want to clean up the aftermath of a suicide or homicide yourself. Doing so will surely intensify your emotional trauma, making it more difficult to recover. Our disinfection process eliminates tenacious viruses safely and comprehensively, restoring both your property and your peace of mind.

We consider ourselves part of the communities we serve, so please reach out with any questions about biohazard safety, suicide prevention and more. We are here to help in every way that we can. 

Blood spills are more dangerous than you may realize. Depending on the size of the spill, they can carry hundreds of trillions of viruses, some of which may be infectious. Spread through open wounds, sores and other orifices (i.e. eyes, nose, mouth), these disease-carrying microorganisms—or pathogens—can cause severe illness or death if left untreated. Though the risk of infection depends on the volume of blood involved and the pervasiveness of the virus, it is prudent to consider how to protect yourself against different types of bloodborne viruses. Although they are easily preventable, contracting one demands urgency. As their name suggests, these pathogens travel through the bloodstream infecting host cells and disrupting the body’s biological machinery. As the virus multiplies, cells will die or function improperly, leading to distressing side effects. Here are some of the most common bloodborne infection you should be aware of:

Hepatitis A—Hepatitis A infects the liver. Though the virus commonly comes from food and water contaminated by feces, it can be transmitted through blood and other bodily fluids, such as semen, breast milk and saliva. It is extremely contagious, but given the availability of effective vaccines, most people are able to make a full recovery.

Hepatitis B—Hepatitis B is another highly contagious and severe liver infection that can be spread through blood and bodily fluids. Young people—particularly infants—are more at risk of developing a chronic infection than adults, which can lead to long-term side effects, liver failure and cancer. People infected with acute—or short-termed—hepatitis B are most likely to make a full recovery.

Hepatitis C— This viral liver infection is transmitted blood-to-blood and usually results in a chronic illness. Though hepatitis C is curable today, more than half of those infected are unaware that they have the disease. Unlike hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccine. Treatment involves 12 weeks of oral medication.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)—HIV destroys cells that combat infections. If untreated, it will progress until the infected person contracts AIDS—the final stage of the disease. Spread through unprotected sex, exposure to blood and shared hygiene instruments, HIV affects 1.1 million people today. An effective cure has yet to be developed.

How to protect yourself—The safest way to protect yourself from bloodborne pathogens is by avoiding blood spills and practicing safe, protected sex. Refrain from sharing razors, needles and toothbrushes as well, which may carry traces of blood from someone else. Smaller blood spills—such as those caused by nose bleeds or minor head injuries—can generally be disinfectd safely at home through tight gloves and protective eyewear.

But you’re going to want to contact the professionals for anything larger. Allowing trained specialists to do the work protects you from accidental blood exposure and ensures that your property is thoroughly disinfected. Bio-One hires certified technicians to comprehensively and efficiently clean biohazardous blood spills. Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions or concerns. We’re always available to assist you. 

When a loved one commits suicide it’s fair to assume that first responders will decontaminate the scene. But they don’t, creating yet another dilemma for families who are freshly traumatized by a sudden and devastating loss. Driven to remove the memory from your home as quickly as possible, your first impulse may be to clean the space yourself. But there are several reasons why you shouldn’t take on this burden.

For one, suicide cleanup is a traumatic and overwhelming experience of its own. Although you may think you can push through this task by suppressing your emotions, you’re at risk of developing PTSD and prolonging your grief. It's best to avoid the scene and leave this process to the professionals.

Additionally, you may be subject to harmful diseases if you don’t clean up the scene properly. Pathogens linger long after a surface has been scrubbed, leaving you and your family at risk of developing bloodborne infections like Hepatitis C and HIV if your cleaning process has not been thorough enough. Certified specialists in biohazard remediation are the only people qualified to perform this intensive work. Let them restore your home with the assurance that it will be sanitary.

Bio-One is here to help in this regard. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you need assistance. We’re on standby 24/7, every day of the year, and are always available to answer any questions you might have.

We’re here to meet your needs, wherever you are. From the parched land of Southern Nevada to the aquamarine beaches of West Florida, Bio-One has over 80 offices located across the nation—and we continue to grow. You can find us in areas as metropolitan as Philadelphia and as pastoral as Colorado Springs. But even if you don’t live in one of these cities, our offices service multiple counties nearby. Please visit our “locations” tab on our website to find your neighborhood, and we’ll be available to assist you. 

According to the American Psychiatric Association, compulsive hoarding disorder affects an estimated 2 to 6 percent of the population. That’s between 6.5 and 20 million people respectively—if you consider the latest figures from the United States Census Bureau. While inadvertently mythologized through reality television, hoarding is a serious problem that can diminish one’s quality of life and create significant safety hazards. As opposed to collectors, who invariably organize their material in a clean and organized manner, hoarders obsessively and haphazardly accumulate a myriad of items that often have no practical value. They face severe distress when confronted with the prospect of discarding these items, leading to a dangerous and unsanitary aggregation of clothes, trash, broken appliances and more.

In addition to generating mold, harboring disease and creating fire hazards, hoarding—according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America—often causes distress within the family and threatens the social development of children. While the nation’s leading psychiatrists didn’t classify hoarding as a distinct mental disorder until 2013, it’s a significant problem that many Americans face within our local communities. That’s why you shouldn’t feel ashamed if you’re thinking about contacting Bio-One to assist you or a loved one with hoarding cleanup. We will work with you to address your individual situation, especially if that includes removing extreme piles of clutter, searching for sentimental valuables, and restoring your home’s sense of safety and comfort. Don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns. It can be the first step towards recovery. 

Sudden and inexplicable tragedies like suicide and homicide are emotionally devastating experiences that leave trauma, property damage and unanswered questions in their wake. Our certified technicians conduct their work in a manner that is sensitive to your needs, considerate of your privacy and empathetic towards your grief. That’s why we strive to be on-site, at your side, an hour after you give us a call. We don't require payment or insurance authorization before a service because our primary concern is restoring your home quickly and courteously. Staying true to this prerogative is what makes us the most compassionate organization in the industry. Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions or concerns. We’re happy to help—day and night.

Needles and sharps can be dangerous and carry infectous fluids. If you want to know how to properly dispose of your sharps, please visit https://safeneedledisposal.org. 

You SHOULD NOT be throwing needles and sharps directly into the trash. They need to be handled carefully and by a trained professional. Did you know Bio-One will pick up these items for you? 

If you are a part of the medical field, dental industry, or a tattoo shop, these are all places we can pick up from! If you think you might need this, take a look at our locations page to find a Bio-One franchise close to you.