MRSA in the News
February 15, 2008 - Los Angeles Times'Superbug' staph reports required
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
Responding to concerns about antibiotic-resistant "superbug" staph infections, California will now require local health departments to report all severe infections originating outside healthcare facilities, but not cases contracted in hospitals or nursing homes.
February 15, 2008 - Chicago TribuneStaph infections rising in Illinois; 'Urban phenomenon' spreading throughout rural hospitals now
By Judith Graham
Drug-resistant staph infections are rising sharply across Illinois and gaining a foothold in smaller rural hospitals, according to a new report from the state's Public Health Department.
February 14, 2008 - WPTV.com Preventing A Superbug
Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus (MRSA) is a common cause of skin infections. It can also cause pneumonia, ear infections and sinusitis. MRSA bacteria are sometimes dubbed "superbugs" because they are highly resistant to common antibiotics like penicillin, making infections difficult to treat effectively.
February 11, 2008 - Associated Press Good Hygiene Can Stop Staph Infections
By Lauran Neergaard
WASHINGTON (AP) — Drug-resistant staph infections that have made headlines in recent weeks come from what the nation's top doctor calls "the cockroach of bacteria" — a bad germ that can lurk in lots of places, but not one that should trigger panic.
February 05, 2008 - The Globe and Mail (Canada)Hospitals must publicly report infection rates, experts say
By Lisa Priest
The federal government's move to target the superbug MRSA is a great start but hospitals should take it a step further by publicly reporting their infection rates, patient advocates and experts say. "I'm still stuck on the idea that their plan has to include public reporting," said Michael Gardam, director of infection prevention and control for the University Health Network. "We're going around telling people that this is a really significant health issue but we're not going to tell you how bad it is. In my mind, it has to happen."
January 29, 2008 - CBC News (Canada)Former B.C. nurse raises alarm over infection control
A former nurse infected with a deadly superbug is accusing a B.C. hospital of failing to take proper measures to control the spread of infection. "In my experience, proper isolation practices were non-existent," said retired nurse Jeannie Whitfield.
January 23, 2008 - The News Courier (AL)Infection control expert: MRSA impacts the way A-L Hospital manages patients
By Karen Middleton
An overwhelming segment of the population has come to depend on antibiotics as the magic bullet for all ailments. However, one Athens-Limestone Hospital official said Tuesday that the use of two popular antibiotics since 1998 accounts for the unusually high incidence of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus in this area. MRSA is a drug-resistant staph infection carried even on the skin of healthy people.
January 22, 2008 - Reuters Health E-LineDangerous staph bacteria all from one group: study
WASHINGTON - One single strain of bacteria is causing most cases of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus found outside hospitals in the United States, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. The USA300 strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA is extraordinarily contagious and robust, the U.S. government researchers said.
January 08, 2008 - PR Newswire10 Million Square Feet of Turf Set to be Treated in 2008 in Response to MRSA Outbreaks...
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- CSG/SportsCoatings, today announced approximately 10 million square feet of synthetic turf will be treated with its industry-leading antimicrobial coating, TurfAide(TM), in 2008 -- up from 1.5 million square feet in 2007. The exponential increase in demand for TurfAide has been attributed to several factors, including a 2007 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphlycoccus aureas) is responsible for more than 94,000 serious infections and nearly 19,000 deaths each year. MRSA, a potentially deadly skin infection, is caused by staph bacteria that can survive on surfaces for days. The antimicrobial technology in TurfAide is proven to inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi and mold for years with just one application.
November 08, 2007 - Philadelphia Business JournalFight MRSA' rallying cry for new coalition
A group of Philadelphia-area hospitals, public health departments, nursing homes, schools and Independence Blue Cross have joined forces to form the "Fight MRSA" coalition.
November 08, 2007 - CBSNews.com Disinfections Ineffective In MRSA Fight
It wasn't that long ago that if your child got a staph infection, it was knocked out with a couple of doses of penicillin. Now, penicillin may not work because there’s a form of staph called "MRSA" that has mutated and become resistant to most antibiotics.
