VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Pot activist Marc Emery has contracted a bacterial infection that's highly resistant to antibiotics while serving time for selling marijuana seeds over the internet to American customers.
The superbug is Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as
MRSA.
His wife Jodie says he had a couple of boils on his backside, one of which tested positive for MRSA.
"When he arrived at the new prison in Mississippi, they tested him because they're hyper-alert about MRSA,"
Jodie Emery tells News1130. "I was very concerned when he told me, I cried. It was during our last visit, he let me know in person.
"It scares me of course, it scares me everyday, especially when you think about how quickly things can go wrong."
According to the
Public Health Agency of Canada, the bacteria are commonly found on the skin and in the nose. It's primarily spread through skin-to-skin contact or by touching items that are contaminated. If left untreated, infections can develop into life-threatening complications, like an infection of the bloodstream.
Vancouver native
Marc Emery has served time in several American prisons, including ones in Washington State, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Georgia. Jodie says he's comfortable at his current prison in Mississippi. His release date is set for July 2014.