Hi everyone. This may not be the right place to post this since I am the one with MRSA but the question is about my squirrels so I thought I would maybe get better response here instead of OFF Topic.
One of my squirrels bit me the other day. Bit me on the finger. She is one that will be released in the springtime. I've been bit many times before, sometimes my fault, sometimes accident such as squirrel was really trying to grab the nut in my hand or sometimes the three that are housed together just get into this mob mentality and in the excitement I get bit. This time, one of them was running around and didn't want to be caught and put up. She bit . . OUCH!
I didn't think much of it until I noticed that my wounds were not responding to the neosporin like they usually do. My finger was extremely swollen, tight, could not bend and the wounds were turning black with pus coming out. At this same time, I developed some kind of infection in my gums. Felt like a toothache came on all of a sudden. Dreading going to the dentist so tried to doctor it with ambesol and pain medications that I had on hand. Nothing, got so bad that I actually rubbed BenGay into my face from the jawline to the cheekbone.
Anyhow went to my family dr. and he gave me script for antibiotics (Cephalexin) and took a sample to send to the lab to make sure this was the right antibiotic. He also gave me samples of a medication called Vimovo to reduce the swelling and help with the pain. He said that the infection in the gums could be related to the infection in the finger as it travels through the bloodstream. Within a couple of hours of taking the first dose of the Vimovo, my gums had quit hurting so bad and the swelling in my finger went down and I could bend my finger. Today, my doctors office called to say the lab report came back and I have MRSA. They called in a script for doxycycline, which I picked up this evening.
I have rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune disorder, so my immune system is weakened already. I am on two medications which suppress the immune system even more. One is a once a month IV medication called Orencia and the other I take once a week called Methotrexate. I have had problems in the past with wounds not healing and if I get a cold, it usually takes me 2 or 3 times longer to get over it than everyone else.
Now to my questions. While it is possible that I picked this up from somewhere while I had this open wound on my finger; is there a chance that the squirrel(s) may have given it to me. I mean, could one or more of them be a carrier. I know in humans, 1% of people can be carriers of MRSA, never getting rid of it but having recurring problems.
The squirrels are all healthy having never shown any problems. Can I give it to them?
Sorry this post is so long. I just want to get rid of the MRSA and keep anyone else from getting it from me if that is possible.
Thanks for any info and advice.
Michele