nancree said:" I have a friend who is a professional chef and he has a systemic
Staph
Quoted message said:infection from hand injuries which won't clear up. "
No one else has mentioned the problem of a chef with a Staph infection
in his hand that won't clear up. That is scary--and very unsanitary.
How the hell do you know? I am sure he uses gloves when touching
anything at work. He keeps the lesion covered when he's in public. He
is also the head chef so most of his monkeys do most of his work. I'd
much rather he prepare my food wearing gloves (which he is done many
times, BTW) than some unknown person working in a restaurant who
probably doesn't wash their hands after wiping their butt. Sheesh!
Quoted message said:He should be reported to the Health Department. It could be passed on
easily to anyone who eats his food.
Um, no. See below. I, myself, have eaten his food many times and
haven't been infected.
Quoted message said:(I saw a TV report just last night
from USCD Medical, saying that in San Diego, 2 to 4 small children die
each year from getting a staph infection while they have chicken pox.
They hadn't had chicken pox immunations. One little girl had both arms
and both legs ! amputated because of a raging Staph infection with
chicken pox. ) This is just one example of the very serious damage that
Staph can do.
Those are open chicken-pox lesions which get infected through secondary
contact. Much different than having someone prepare food with a
properly covered lesion.
You probably have had staph infection at one time or another if you
have ever had a pimple or boil. Staph is passed from skin to skin
contact.
From the CDC:
"What is the main way that staph or MRSA is transmitted in the
community?
The main mode of transmission of staph and/or MRSA is via hands which
may become contaminated by contact with a) colonized or infected
individuals, b) colonized or infected body sites of other persons, or
c) devices, items, or environmental surfaces contaminated with body
fluids containing staph or MRSA. Other factors contributing to
transmission include skin-to-skin contact, crowded conditions, and poor
hygiene. "
The only way someone could contract it from him would be to directly
touch the wound or secretions onto their skin - and their skin would
have to be open cause infection. It is unlikely that ingesting Staph
will do much harm - they are aerobic bacteria and can't survive in the
GI tract. Many people carry it on their skin all of the time. It's
not like the guy is squeezing his lesion into the food, anyway. His
wife and baby don't have it, nor do any of his coworkers. He's under
the care of multiple physicians - one of whom is his FIL.
-L.
