MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus) is usually found on the skin or in the nostrils of healthy people who have had no apparent contact with the healthcare system. However, MRSA is a major problem for the healthcare system because if and when MRSA does show up on a patient, it can cause serious illness. To learn more about MRSA, check out this CDC Fact Sheet..

Researchers from the University of Manchester have discovered that essential oils used in aromatherapy kill MRSA bacteria and E. coli, as well as many other types of bacteria, within two minutes of contact. Essential oils are chemical compounds found within aromatic plants, which the plants use to fight off infections. Researchers tested 40 essential oils against ten of the most deadly bacteria and fungi.

It would be a simple matter to blend these essential oils into soaps and shampoos which could be used by hospital staff, doctors and patients in a bid to eradicate the spread of these deadly superbugs. For more information, check out the University of Manchester news story..

Meanwhile, a U.S. drug company, Vicuron Pharmaceuticals Inc., has submitted an application to the FDA for dalbavancin, a unique, once weekly IV lipoglycopeptide for the treatment of MRSA. Which would you rather have in your body, an antibotic or the aroma of essential oils?