MRSA: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
We suspect staph when we have skin infections that don't heal. The infection may appear as a rash, spots, painful pimples, swollen red bumps and may resemble spider bites. The affected area is usually warm to touch and periodically drain pus. MRSA infections can become very serious if not resolved.

Black Cumin Seed Oil — Research has shown that N. sativa seeds contain strong antibacterial properties that may help fight Staphylococcus aureus, a common bacteria that can cause a variety of topical infections.
Influence of Nigella sativa fixed oil on some blood parameters and histopathology of skin in staphylococcal-infected BALB/c mice

Resistance is Futile by Robert Tisserand
"Essential oils can sometimes REVERSE antibiotic resistance in bacteria. While essential oils can't get rid of the resistance entirely, sometimes they can effectively turn it off, making bacteria susceptible to traditional antibiotics again. The most tested mechanism is in something called an efflux pump. This is a 'channel' in the bacterial cell wall that spits out an antibiotic before it has time to fatally damage the cell. Both grapefruit oil and eugenol (the major constituent of clove oil) have been shown to turn off efflux pumps in some bacteria, thus removing their resistance to antibiotics."

"Resistance in bacteria to antibiotics generally happens through genetic mutations that are passed rapidly to other bacteria. However “…it is difficult to envisage a single genetic mutation or series of mutations that would render microbial membranes impervious to essential oils yet allow normal cell functioning. Any potential mutations to membrane properties that confer resistance to essential oils are likely to also negatively impact general microbial growth and survival.” (Hammer & Carson 2011). The fact that essential oils can kill bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics is amazing in itself. The fact that they can sometimes reverse antibiotic resistance in bacteria is seemingly miraculous." - Robert Tisserand, founder of Tisserand Institute and author of Essential Oil Safety for Health Professionals

Testimonies:
1. I told you I would keep you up to date on my niece and her infection and I haven't done a very good job of it! I am sorry! But the news is good! When she was first diagnosed with the MRSA infection her doctor told her she would have to be isolated when she gave birth and she would not be able to breast feed because they would have to start her on some pretty strong drugs to kill the infection. Well, she started using the Mercy oil that I got from you as well as drinking chlorophyll and colloidal silver by mouth and also applied to the infection.  She applied the oil to the infection and also took some by mouth in capsules.  After just 2 weeks the doctor was really surprised by how much she had improved.  My niece told me that he came into the room with goggles and gloves like she was really contaminated!  He took one look at the infected place and took off the goggles and said things were really looking good.  She gave birth to a 8 lb 3 oz beautiful baby boy on March 12 and had absolutely no sign of the infection.  We are all so grateful to you for being there with the oil and the knowledge of how to use it!  And very thankful to the Lord for how good He is to us! - Sherri M.

2. I wanted to let you know that the Mercy has helped my 3-year-old son’s staph infection. We did get confirmation from the culture that it was indeed staph ,and we decided to just use Mercy oil with coconut oil 3x a day, and it healed beautifully. I just ordered another bottle to have on hand at the first sign of another possible staph infection in our family. I cannot thank you enough for your quick response and amazing product. I told our naturopath that she should prescribe your essential oils for staph infections. We are so glad we never had to use antibiotics. - Jolaine

3. My 8-year-old son who has Down syndrome and I both have been suffering recurrent MRSA skin infections this year. We are both allergic to some of the more effective antibiotics for MRSA and generally just feel lousy when on antibiotics. I have been using Mercy on myself and my son with very good results. We still have some work to do to boost our immune systems to help us stop more recurrences, but I am so relieved to have Mercy in my medicine cabinet to stave off infections before they require a doctor's visit. It is very effective. I have also used it to dab on cold sores, and they vanish in a day or so. Glad I thought to try that out! - Kimberly

4. I battled MRSA for 6 months using allopathic treatments, and after less than a week of using Mercy, I'm finally improving. This stuff is amazing!

5. Thank you for the MRSA info! After taking many essential oils recommended for pneumonia, I looked up your site and started on the sample of Mercy that I've had for over a year. I just dabbed some in and on my nose as per your info, and I truly believe this is the answer to all of my 69 years of asthma and COPD. I had a carbuncle and blood poisoning as a child. I was treated with lots of antibiotics, and I now believe this caused MRSA to set up residence in my nose and cause me a lifetime of misery in my chest. But now praise to our Lord Jesus and your info and your Mercy, I believe I have found the answer to it all. I'm feeling better than I've felt in years. Thank you and God bless your ministry. - Suzi-Annah

6. My adult son had a terrible case of MRSA 2 years ago, (pic line to his heart w/ daily 1/2 hour injections, etc.!) and then, once it was in his system, it kept coming back. Nothing seemed to stop it. The first time he tried the Mercy formula, he said, "That stuff simply works!" He put it on the spot and on the bottoms of his feet. When he initially had an infection, he had extensive surgery and was hospitalized for a week/had a pic-line to his heart w/ daily infusions for a month, etc. We were told that once you have MRSA, you are more susceptible to reoccurrence, which has been the case with him. It's been in his nose, knee, elbow and so on. We did not know about essential oils for the first round. The original antibiotics didn't touch it! Now, when a spot shows up, he goes after it with the Mercy, and it works. One thing I've learned is that your body must have the proper pH balance, which means (in part) cutting out processed foods and eating healthy fruits and veggies especially. Also, drink lots of water and get away from any sugary drinks. (Research it....I'm sure I'm only touching the surface of this issue.) Anyway, it seems a lot of people are getting MRSA and Cellulitis these days for some reason, and we need to take charge of our health! Thank you for helping us find a solution to that horrible staph infection! - Bev

7. I've been using the Mercy for what appears to actually be MRSA that has been occurring in my nose for nearly a decade now. My symptoms would begin inside the nostril with soreness, inflammation (you could actually see my nose swell), and then many small boils/blisters would surface that would eventually burst and be difficult to heal up (often taking weeks!) They were crusty/oozy. At first I used to think it was seasonal, but then it became something more often. This past year it would reoccur within weeks of healing back up. It was worse when I worked in an office atmosphere, but lately it seems anytime I was exposed to harsh chemical smells, mold, pollens, dust, it would resurface. I Googled MRSA, and it described my symptoms exactly. I've swabbed the Mercy neat in the nostrils 3x/day for a full week and had no recurrences. I will definitely be ordering more. Now that that appears to be "under control" should I just swab 2x day and for how long should I be doing this - several weeks more or even longer? - Elaine
[Linda with Hopewell wrote: This is wonderful, Elaine. Bless the Lord! I wish I knew how long you should continue, but if it were me, I'd slowly back off and continue once a day for months rather than take the chance of it coming back on me. We've seen with other issues, such as fungal issues, that once the visible manifestations disappear, if the treatment stops, it comes back. It seems best to continue for a while. Please let us know how you are doing in a month or two.]

8. I'm diabetic (type 2) and have MRSA, although currently I don't have any skin infections, but I believe the infections inside are MRSA related. Specifically, I have frequent yeast infections as well as what I believe is some sort of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. I've also been combating a severe, 2 year's long ear/sinus infection which had spread to my eyes. I'm fairly certain this was MRSA as well. Thats how I found HEO; I was desperately searching for relief from the eye infection. I got a bottle of Mercy and the Ear-B-Well blend. I applied the Mercy around my eyes, and the infection was gone within 24 hours! I massaged the Ear-B-Well blend around the ear and also applied it on cotton to put in my ears. I could feel a difference, but this ear infection was like the world's worst one ever! So I did the same with the Mercy, and I am currently going on about 8 days free from ear pain for the first time in 2 years. - Elaina

9. I worked in health care and got MRSA. I had extensive treatments, but it kept coming back. Then I read that scented laundry detergents might exacerbate it, so we have been scent-free for almost 7 years and no more MRSA.
 
10. Our daughter had MRSA lesions on her leg last year, and we applied Mercy right on the sore or diluted with coconut oil. It is awesome stuff!!! - Rachel

11. I used Mercy on a bad spider bite 2x daily for a week, and it helped very, very much. - Aquene

12. Three months ago I developed small splits in the nostril, which caused swelling and crusty nostrils. The creases on the side of my nose were also affected. I rotated Mercy, Lavender and Ancient Support. After about two months, I quit using essential oils and continued with just Sanare Velius. My nostrils are almost completely healed. I never had it tested, so I don't know what was the cause. - Helen

13. I have used the Mercy blend topically with some success, but what really seems to nip my recurring MRSA in the bud is taking Solaray Turmeric Root Extract 300mg (95% Curcumin) orally. I took three capsules, three times a day. Within two days you couldn't even see the new bump that was forming and a 7" boil was dried up. - Jenny

14. We dealt with a MRSA boil a few years ago and used Mercy. The best thing we did was a combo of equal parts of ground flax seed and water put on the stove and cooked until it thickens. Add activated charcoal. I applied to the boil and left overnight. The boil would burst and heal on its own. - Britt

Articles

Edwards-Jones et al. (2004) found that a combination of Lavender, Geranium, and Tea Tree had an increased inhibitory effect on the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), but that Lavender and Tea Tree without the Geranium were less active against MRSA. Based on this research article, Hopewell Essential Oils created a blend called Mercy to help support your immune response to fight this deadly bacteria.

Tea Tree oil and Hospital Superbugs
In vitro studies in Australia and the UK have found that Tea Tree oil is effective against MRSA at concentrations as low as 0.25%. To eradicate MRSA on the skin, creams, ointments and body washes with at least 5% tea tree oil have been successfully used in hospital trials.

Other essential oils including Oregano, Thyme, Patchouli, Lemongrass, Lavender and Geranium are also able to kill MRSA if used in sufficient concentration, but most of the research has been on Tea Tree oil. Note that systemic MRSA, which can be fatal, is not yet known to be treatable with essential oils. However, there is an account of how a man’s life was saved with a mixture of Clove, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Lemon and Eucalyptus (see our Plague Defense blend). He had contracted an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria in hospital and conventional treatment had failed.

Essential oils usually used in aromatherapy have been found to kill the deadly MRSA bacteria according to research carried out at the University of Manchester.

Tests revealed that three essential oils Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) and Geranium were two of the oils. Other oils tested were Patchouli and Lavender.] killed MRSA and E. coli as well as many other bacteria and fungi within just two minutes of contact. The oils can easily be blended and made into soaps and shampoos which could be used by hospital staff, doctors and patients in a bid to eradicate the spread of these deadly `super bugs'.

Researchers are now desperately looking for funding to develop their work and carry out a clinical trial. Peter Warn from the University's Faculty of Medicine who worked on the research said: 'We believe that our discovery could revolutionize the fight to combat MRSA and other `super bugs', but we need to carry out a trial and to do that we need a small amount of funding ' around $30,000.

'We are having problems finding this funding because essential oils cannot be patented as they are naturally occurring, so few drug companies are interested in our work as they do not see it as commercially viable. Obviously, we find this very frustrating as we believe our findings could help to stamp out MRSA and save lives,' added Peter, who is based at Hope Hospital.

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. Two of these oils killed MRSA and E. coli almost instantly, while a third was shown to act over a longer period of time, meaning that any soaps or shampoos made by blending these three oils would be effective over a period of time.

Jacqui Stringer who is Clinical Lead of Complementary Therapies at the Christie Hospital instigated the research and said: 'The use of plants in medicine is nothing new but some people regard the use of essential oils as unconventional. Our research shows a very practical application which could be of enormous benefit to the NHS and its patients.

'The reason essential oils are so effective is because they are made up of a complex mixture of chemical compounds which the MRSA and other super bug bacteria find difficult to resist. The problem with current treatments is that they are made of single compounds, which MRSA relatively quickly becomes resistant to, so treatment is only successful in around 50% of cases.

'While a wide range of products currently exist to help prevent the spread of MRSA, these are often unpleasant for patients as their application can cause skin irritation. MRSA is often carried inside the nose which means that patients often have to insert treatments up their nostrils, whereas these essential oils can simply be inhaled to prevent the patient being at risk,' added Jacqui.

Jacqui works with leukemia patients at the Christie Hospital using essential oils to help in their treatment. Patients receiving treatment for cancer and leukemia are often left with weakened immune systems, which makes them vulnerable to infection from MRSA.

The National Audit Office estimates that infections such as MRSA kill 5,000 people each year and hospital-acquired infections cost the NHS around $1 billion a year.

www.News-Medical.net

BBC News
Essential oils 'combat superbug'

Tests of a new machine at a hospital have found it could be effective in the battle against the superbug MRSA.Consultants at Wythenshawe Hospital found that using a vaporiser to spray essential oils into the atmosphere killed off micro-organisms. Airborne bacterial counts dropped by 90% and infections were reduced in a nine-month trial at the burns unit. The recipe of oils used in the machine was refined by microbiologists at Manchester Metropolitan University. Scent Technologies, the Wigan-based company which makes the machine, developed the device to mask smells on wards but found it had a beneficial effect on infections. The study was started after the recipe of oils was modified by the university team, in conjunction with Wythenshawe consultant Ken Dunn. " It has to be in conjunction with everything else - it can't just be a machine on a ward." Bev Hurst, MRSA campaigner

"Many people will be aware that there are decades of experience with the use of essential oils to control infection," said Mr Dunn. "I think the novelty of this is putting the two researched technologies together and being able to affect a really surprisingly large area of the ward with a single machine."

There were no MRSA infections in the burns unit while the machine was being used with the recipe of oils. In the final two months the natural essence blend was removed from the machines and MRSA levels in the air increased - and there was an MRSA outbreak in the ward.

More tests
But despite the apparent success of the trial, MRSA campaigners have urged healthcare professionals to continue with strict cleaning regimes. Bev Hurst, whose mother Margaret died from an MRSA infection, said: "If this is something that is going to help then that's brilliant. But it has to be in conjunction with everything else - it can't just be a machine on a ward."

The National Audit Office estimates hospital-acquired infections contribute to some 5,000 deaths annually. Further tests are now being carried out.

Story from BBC NEWS:
news.BBC.co.uk
 

Tea Tree Oil Effectively Kills Resistant Microorganisms
WESTPORT, June 13, 2000 (Reuters Health) - Tea tree oil, a substance extracted from the leaves of an Australian tree, is effective in killing a variety of resistant microorganisms commonly found in hospitals, British and Australian researchers report in the May 2000, issue of the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. The researchers found that the two chemically different types of tea tree oil, standard and cloned, rapidly killed most organisms in less than 60 minutes. Both oils were found to be more active against methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) than against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).

Infection (Journal); 38: 67 69.
Activity of Tea Tree Oil on Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
New methods for the control of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are required to reduce the *increasing incidence of nosocomial MRSA infections and the increasing reservoir of MRSA within the community which lead to increasing numbers of colonized patients and staff. This is further complicated by the recent emergence of S. aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (VRSA),'which will strain our resources in the near future.

Alternative approaches are thus required. Tea tree oil has been suggested as a possible topical agent with broad-spectrum antibacterial properties which could fulfill this role. It has been shown to be effective against clinical isolates of MRSA both in the UK and in Australia.

Biostructural and Biomolecular Research, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, and Australian Tea Tree Oil Research Institute, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
1607/97: received 14 July 1997 and accepted 22 October 1997
The essential oil of the tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia, is a topical antimicrobial, which has been in use since early in this century (Carson and Riley 1993) by Europeans. Tea tree oil has the ability to kill a wide range of medically important micro organisms (Carson and Riley 1993, 1994; Shapiro et aL 1994; Carson etal. 1995; Belaiche etal. 1996; Hammer etal. 1996) and contains over 100 components, of which a pinene, terpinen 4 ol, linalool and a terpineol are lipophilic monoterpenes and the major active antimicrobial components of TTO (Carson and Riley 1995; Kim etal. 199S; Ranian etal. 199S).

Essential Oils and MRSA
by Kim Bloomer, VDN
Co-Author of Whole Health for Happy Dogs

Natural preventative pet care isn't a new thing, but it certainly isn't fully mainstream yet. One of the challenges is being able to re-educate the public to think outside of the box. For so many years we've been told over and over again by traditional care providers that our pets need yearly vaccinations, prevention medicines for heartworm, fleas and ticks, and feeding premium kibble. We've been told these will all lead to ultimate wellness in our pets. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While we continue to struggle with conquering the mountain of "alternative care is for new age, crystal toting, chanting hippies", our pets are getting sicker rather than healthier. One of the most challenging problems on the rise is a super-resistant bacterium that is increasingly resistant to the traditional use of antibiotics. Most notably is the rise of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). This is a staph infection that the antibiotic methicillin can no longer kill. MRSA is passed from humans to pets and it is still mutating into strains in different species animals. Horses have developed their own strain and antibiotics are not the answer! In fact, the overuse of antibiotics is part of the main reason that these bacteria have mutated and evolved.

This staph infection is deadly and can and does kill humans and animals. In fact, this very thing happened to Jill Moss' most beloved white Samoyed, Bella. Jill lost Bella to this staph infection a little over a year ago. It prompted Jill to take serious action and bring the knowledge of this deadly strain of bacteria to the world so that other pet owners and people would not have to suffer the loss she has. Jill has instituted The Bella Moss Foundation and Pets-MRSA to help bring not only knowledge about MRSA, but hope, help and healing.

Research has already begun on finding ways to stop these virulent bacteria. Scientists at the University of Manchester in England have found that three essential oils destroyed MRSA! Dr. Peter Warn, who was involved in the research, told the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) back in December of 2004 that when he tested the oils in the lab, "absolutely nothing grew. Rather than stimulating bacteria and fungi, the oils killed them off."

A provider and manufacturer of essential oils discovered through some searching that two of the oils used were Melaleuca alternafolia and Geranium. They also found out that the study done by the Manchester scientists mentions Patchouli, Tea Tree, Geranium and Lavender essential oils and grapefruit seed extract but it didn't specify which oil was the third oil in the study.

So why are essential oils proving so effective at killing even the most virulent bacteria such as MRSA? According to Jacqui Stringer, the Clinical Lead of Complementary Therapies at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, England, which treats cancer patients, the reason that essential oils are so effective is because they are made up of a complex mixture of chemical compounds which super bugs such as MRSA find difficult to resist.

I would add that because these compounds are naturally occurring and derived from plants –the "blood" of plants – no two oils are exactly alike ever, which is the perfect complex compound to combat a mutating super bug! Current treatments, according to Stringer, are made up of single compounds (like antibiotics) so the MRSA becomes resistant very quickly and leaving only 50% success in the cases of MRSA. Think about that: only a 50/50 chance of survival. Those are not good odds. The hope comes with this new alternative approach to battling these superbugs.

Another added benefit of using essential oils to combat and help prevent (prevention is the goal in stopping MRSA) the spread of MRSA is the application: inhaled either directly or by diffusing them. MRSA is often carried inside the nose so inhaling the essential oils is all that is needed to prevent patients being at risk. This makes them very easy to administer to both humans and pets.

The biggest deterrent to progressing further in the research with the essential oils and combating these superbugs has been funding. In January 2005, the Manchester researchers were having problems obtaining the £30,000 needed for their research to continue. Shortly after finding out about this, Jimmy Savile the former host of the British television program 'Jim'll Fix It", has donated £40,000 for the research to continue! The problem with the funding was that since essential oils are naturally occurring as I stated above, drug companies are really not interested in helping this type of work because they can't profit from a product that is naturally occurring since they can't be patented.

This is really reprehensible since this kind of research could potentially help save thousands of lives and completely stamp out MRSA.

I for one am very excited to see more and more research being done in bringing healing and hope to many, using what God created for us to use in the first place!