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MRSA & Tea Tree Oil

Mar 30, 2011 | By Charis Grey

Antibiotics have saved millions of lives by killing harmful bacteria that cause infections. But the overuse of antibiotics has lead to the development of strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a type of bacteria that doesn't respond to treatment with many common antibiotics. Tea tree oil has been suggested as a possible alternative to dealing with certain forms of MRSA infection, but questions about its effectiveness remain.

MRSA Infections

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MRSA infections commonly affect the skin. Skin infections caused by MRSA can appear as swollen, pus-filled boils. They occur in areas where the skin has been compromised by trauma and in hairy areas of the body.

Severe cases of MRSA infection occur most often in hospitals and other medical facilities. These cases can involve infections of the blood, lungs or areas of the body that have undergone surgery.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is created by distilling Melaleuca alternifolia leaves. Melaleuca alternifolia is an evergreen shrub that grows in coastal areas of Australia, where indigenous people have used its oil as a treatment for infections, wounds and skin conditions. According to Drugs.com the use of tea tree oil in surgical practice began in the 1920s and extended through World War II when munitions factories kept it on hand to treat skin injuries.

Tea Tree Oil and MRSA

Though the use of tea tree oil is widespread among alternative health practitioners, the conventional scientific community remains skeptical about its effectiveness. According to MayoClinic.com, the scientific evidence regarding the use of tea tree oil in treating MRSA is unclear. Laboratory studies have found that it has activity in fighting MRSA, but a lack of studies involving human subjects prevents it from receiving an endorsement for use in that realm. A study published in the "British Journal of Community Nursing" in 2005 concluded that the evidence to support the use of tea tree oil in eradicating MRSA is insufficient.

Dosages

Regardless of the dubious evidence to support its use, the website Drugs.com acknowledges that tea tree oil is sometimes used in an effort to eradicate nasal colonization by MRSA. A dosage of nasal cream containing a 4 to 10 percent concentration of tea tree oil, applied thrice daily for five days is recommended. For skin infections, a five-day regimen of cleansing the area with a body wash containing five percent tea tree oil is recommended.

References

Article reviewed by MER Last updated on: Mar 30, 2011

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