The “hospital superbug”: Social representations of MRSA

Washer, Peter; Joffe, Hélène

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.05.018

Cited by 135 publications

(155 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(14 reference statements)

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“…Media text corpora have been used to study health controversies such as methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus. 34 For this research, the traditional content analysis cost-benefit approach 35 was enhanced with computerisation using the software QDA Miner/ WordStat. The complexity of language, however, implies that the software will not replace but only augment careful reading and thoughtful analysis.…”

Section: Computer-assisted Content Analysis Of Newspapersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scientific and non-scientific information in the uptake of health information: The case of Ebola

Falade¹,

Coultas²

2017

S. Afr. J. Sci.

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The Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa (2013–2016) claimed over 10 000 lives in less than 18 months. Low levels of familiarity with the disease, ease of transmission, scale of infection, gruesomeness of symptoms, lack of cure and high fatality rate created a global panic. From the perspective of the social psychology of communication and content analysis, this study examines media coverage of the crisis in Africa with a view to unpacking the scientific and non-scientific information that may have framed public understanding of the disease. Findings show that accepting scientific advice was not unproblematic, because of the similarity of early symptoms with known diseases such as Lassa, dengue and malaria fevers. Cultural and religious actors and beliefs posed a paradox for believers as the public assimilated disease prevention information into existing norms and practices. Rumours and conspiracy theories about Western governments and pharmaceuticals also contributed to the rejection of the scientific explanation of its origin. Fear of the devastating effects of the disease and the lack of a cure led to the stigmatisation of the infected and treatment centres and ultimately to public revolts. Findings show the importance of non-scientific information and actors in matters of health and illness in Africa.

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Section: Computer-assisted Content Analysis Of Newspapersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scientific and non-scientific information in the uptake of health information: The case of Ebola

Falade¹,

Coultas²

2017

S. Afr. J. Sci.

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“…One of the supposed casualties of such policies was hospital cleaning which was increasingly contracted out of the Health Service to independent commercial organisations that had had to bid for the contract. Inevitably the press became embroiled, and painted an image of 'dirty hospitals' that were the breeding ground of rampant 'superbugs' such as MRSA that even had nefarious motives ascribed to them (Washer & Joffe, 2006).There were wistful references in the press to a 'golden age' of health services presided over by nursing matrons who were able to impose a regime founded on the good old fashioned virtues of cleanliness (Crawford et al, 2008 …”

Section: The Crisis Posed By Haismentioning

confidence: 99%

The uses and abuses of rapid bioluminescence-based ATP assays

Shama

Malik

2013

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

148

121

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Bioluminescence-based ATP testing of solid surfaces has become well established in the food processing industry as part of general hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) measures. The rise in healthcare associated infections (HAIs) at the turn of the century focussed attention on the environment as a potential reservoir of the agents responsible for such infections. In response to the need for objective methods of assessing the efficiency of cleaning in healthcare establishments and for rapid methods for detecting the presence of the pathogens responsible for HAIs, it was proposed that ATP testing of environmental surfaces be introduced. We examine the basis behind the assumptions inherent in these proposals. Intracellular ATP levels are shown to vary between microbial taxa and according to environmental conditions. Good correlations between microbial numbers and ATP levels have been obtained under certain specific conditions, but never within healthcare settings. Notwithstanding, ATP testing may still have a role in providing reassurance that cleaning regimes are being carried out satisfactorily. However, ATP results should not be interpreted as surrogate indicators for the presence of microbial pathogens.

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“…The public perception of 'food risks' mediated by the news media attracted a great deal of scholarly attention (e.g. Shaw 1999Shaw , 2000, but only little research has been carried out so far into the public and media framing of 'food benefits' (but see Marks and Kalaitzandonakes, 2001;Frewer et al, 1997); and while some articles have studied the media framing of the risks posed by 'unfriendly bacteria' (Washer and Joffe, 2006;Crawford et al, in press), social scientists…”

Section: Methods and Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dixon's book about bacteria (Dixon, 1994) was published at a time when fears about microbes and superbugs began to accelerate and when two popular science books were published that painted a picture of superbugs against the apocalyptic background of plagues and global catastrophe (Garrett, 1994;Cannon, 1995). The term superbug was first used in the mid-1980s, "usually in the context of stories about pesticides and the agricultural use of antibiotics", until in about 1997 superbug became a quasi-synonym for MRSA in the media (Washer andJoffe, 2006: 2145). It now also covers the issue of Clostridium difficile which recently emerged as a new superbug threatening hospital patients who can develop this disease after antibiotic therapy.…”

Section: Early Coverage Of Probiotics 1985-1995: Emerging Themesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Balancing Food Risks and Food Benefits: The Coverage of Probiotics in the UK National Press

Nerlich

Koteyko

2008

Sociological Research Online

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The 1980s and 1990s were marked by a series of food crisis, environmental disasters and the emergence of so-called ‘superbugs’. At the same time, social scientists, such as Ulrich Beck, began to study the rise of a modern ‘risk society’. The late 1990s and early years of this new millennium have been marked by increasing consumer interest in organic and natural foods but also in novel food products, such as probiotics or friendly bacteria which, as supplements or added to yoghurts, promise to help fight various effects of ‘modernity’, from stress to superbugs. Using thematic analysis and corpus linguistic tools, this article charts the rise of probiotics from 1985 to 2006 and asks: How did this rise in popularity come about? How did science and the media contribute to it? And: How were these bacteria enlisted as agents of attitudinal change? Analysing the construction of certain food benefits in the context of a heightened state of anxiety about food risk might shed light on aspects of ‘risk society’ that have so far been overlooked.

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The “hospital superbug”: Social representations of MRSA

Cited by 135 publications

References 13 publications

Scientific and non-scientific information in the uptake of health information: The case of Ebola

Scientific and non-scientific information in the uptake of health information: The case of Ebola

The uses and abuses of rapid bioluminescence-based ATP assays

Balancing Food Risks and Food Benefits: The Coverage of Probiotics in the UK National Press

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