What Is the ‘Serious Bacterial Infection’ That Sent Madonna to the Hospital?

Madonna has postponed her upcoming ”Celebration” tour while she recovers from a “serious bacterial infection” that sent her to the hospital for several days and required treatment in the intensive care unit.

The 64-year old singer “developed a serious bacterial infection that led to a several day stay in the ICU” on Saturday, June 24, according to an Instagram post by her longtime manager, Guy Oseary.

“Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care,” Oseary said in the June 28 post, which didn’t elaborate on the exact type of infection Madonna had. “A full recovery is expected.”

While Oseary has not posted any updates yet or details about the infection, one of Madonna’s longtime collaborators, Debi Mazar, said in an Instagram post that “Madonna is on the mend and home resting.”

Read on for a primer on what causes bacterial infections and how you can prevent them.

Common Types of Bacterial Infections

Bacterial infections usually aren’t that serious, and they can often be treated easily with antibiotics, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Some common types of bacterial infections include, per the Cleveland Clinic:

• Food poisoning (gastroenteritis) can be caused by bacteria like salmonella or E. coli
• Some skin, ear or sinus infections can result from exposure to staph (Staphylococcus aureus)
• Some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis
• Bacterial pneumonia
• Most urinary tract infections (UTIs)

However, bacterial infections can become life-threatening when they spread to the blood, heart, lungs, or brain, the Cleveland Clinic notes. This can happen when infections go untreated, and it can also occur when people are infected with bacteria that don’t respond to antibiotic treatment.

Life-Threatening Bacterial Infections

More than 2.8 million Americans develop antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Worldwide, bacterial infections cause more than one in eight deaths, according to a study published in The Lancet. More than half of these fatalities are caused by just five types of bacteria that are often resistant to treatment with antibiotics:

• Staphylococcus aureus
• Escherichia coli
• Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Klebsiella pneumoniae
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Bacterial infections can also result in severe illness when they lead to sepsis, a life-threatening condition that develops when infections trigger a chain reaction in the body that leads to tissue damage and organ failure, according to the CDC. Bacterial infections are the most common cause of sepsis, and the risk increases when people have antibiotic resistant infections.

What Causes Bacterial Infections?

There are millions of bacteria everywhere around us — including in the soil and water, on surfaces in our homes and workplaces, and on our skin and inside our bodies, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Most of the time, these bacteria aren’t harmful, and they often help keep people healthy and aid with tasks like digestion. But certain bacteria can release toxins inside the body that cause illness. Harmful bacteria can get into the body several ways, including bug bites or cuts on the skin, breathing air near somebody with a bacterial illness, or consuming contaminated food or water.

Certain people are more susceptible to bacterial infections, including people recovering from serious injuries, individuals with conditions like heart disease or cancer or people who take medications that weaken the immune system, according to Harvard Medical School.

How to Prevent Bacterial Infections

Good personal hygiene is the first line of defense against infections, according to Harvard, and these are some helpful preventive habits:

• Wash your hands: Do this after you use the bathroom, before and after preparing food, and after gardening or other dirty tasks. Don’t forget to scrub your palms, wrists, fingertips, under your nails, and between your fingers.
• Cover your coughs: Use a tissue when you sneeze or cough, then dispose of it. And if you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.
• Wash and bandage cuts: Keep wounds clean, don’t pick at healing wounds, blemishes or pimples, and have a doctor check out any serious cut or animal or bug bite.
• Don’t share dishes: Use your own plate, glass, and utensils. Also avoid direct contact with items like napkins, tissues, or handkerchiefs used by others.

Proper food safety practices that go beyond just washing your hands in the kitchen can also help prevent bacterial infections. Some good things to do at home, according to Harvard, include:

• Rinse all fruits and vegetables before cooking or serving.
• Use separate utensils and cutting boards for raw and cooked foods.
• Defrost foods only in the refrigerator or microwave — not on the countertop.
• Use a meat thermometer and cook poultry to 180 degrees F, roasts and steaks to 145 degrees F, and cook fish until it is opaque.