Swift notification of those who may have come in contact with someone who has contracted MRSA, such as a classmate, is vital in the fight to stop the spread of this potentially fatal bacterium and other communicable diseases. To fight the spread of MRSA and other dangerous bacteria, specifically in our schools, Assemblyman Nick Perry has introduced a bill that will require hospitals, medical clinics and private practice physicians request information about school and grade and include this with vital patient data collected prior to the treatment and/or admission of school-aged patients.

The legislation (A.9522) will also require immediate notification of the Department of Health if a school-aged patient being treated by a healthcare facility is diagnosed with an infectious or communicable disease, such as MRSA. The school and grade information, which is currently not required, would be provided to Department of Health. To protect for privacy where necessary, notification would be made only if the Department of Health determined there was a public urgency and needed to immediately notify the school attended by the patient to provide proper notice to all who may have come in contact with the afflicted student.

Assemblyman Perry is also introducing legislation that would require all bathrooms open to the public to post hand washing reminders, similar to those displayed in restaurants reminding their employees to wash before returning to work.

What is MRSA? Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria-often called "staph." Decades ago, a strain of staph emerged in a hospital that was resistant to the broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used to treat it. MRSA is one of the first germs to outwit all but the most powerful drugs.

What does MRSA look like? MRSA is primarily a skin infection. It often resembles a pimple, boil or spider bite, but it quickly worsens into an abscess, or pus-filled blister or sore. Patients who have sores that won’t heal, or are filled with pus, should see a doctor and ask to be tested for a staph infection. They should not squeeze the sore or try to drain it. Doing so, can spread the infection to other parts of the skin and even other people.

Who is at risk? The vast majority of MRSA cases happen in hospital settings, but 10 percent to 15 percent occur in the community at large among otherwise healthy people. Infections often occur among people who are prone to cuts and scrapes, such as children and athletes. MRSA typically spreads by skin-to-skin contact, crowded conditions and the sharing of contaminated personal items. Others who should be watchful: people who have regular contact with health care workers, those who have recently taken such antibiotics as fluoroquinolones or cephalosporin. MRSA bacteria account for a large percentage of hospital-acquired staph infections.

Over the past several years, MRSA infections in people not considered high-risk have increased. These infections, known as community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA), occur in otherwise healthy people who have no history of hospitalization in the last year. Many such infections have occurred among athletes who share equipment or personal items (such as towels or razors) and children in daycare facilities.

A recent study found MRSA cases tripled in the United States between 2000 and 2005, and an estimated 94,360 people are infected and 18,650 die annually, killing more people annually than HIV. The death rate for MRSA, which is one of several superbugs capable of killing patients, is 6.3 per 100,000 people, higher than HIV. The rate increases to 35.4 per 100,000 for senior citizens over 65.

A 2003 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study reported 52 percent of doctors did not clean their hands between patients. A 1997 study found a doctor’s lab coat picked up MRSA bacteria 65 percent of the time when leaning over an infected patient. In a 2006 study, 77 percent of blood pressure cuffs on rolling carts were contaminated with MRSA.

The CDC estimates that 1.7 million Americans contract infections while hospitalized annually and 100,000 die.

Source- CDC, New York Times & The Mayo Clinic

Assemblyman Nick Perry is urging his constituents to be cautious, but not fall victim to the media’s depiction of MRSA as an apocalyptic superbug.

"Some of the media, as we know, tends to sensationalize issues, and grab attention through the use of shocking headlines and sound bites," said Assemblyman Perry. "We shouldn’t be so afraid of MRSA that we avoid casual day-to-day contact with others, or be worried about sending our children to school each day. Contracting MRSA is not a death sentence."

While MRSA is strongly resistant to methicillin and some other modern antibiotics, it can be treated successfully with many other, readily available antibiotics according to doctors and health officials.

While in fact MRSA can at times be deadly, it is rarely fatal when contracted in the general public. These cases are typically an easily treatable skin infection. Where MRSA does prove most fatal is in nursing homes and hospitals where plentiful open wounds and punctures provide instant access to the bloodstream by the bacterium.

"We live in a society that is already paralyzed by a false fear at times, under the threat of terrorism," said Assemblyman Perry. "While MRSA should of course be treated as a potentially deadly illness, it should not place additional stress on our lives. Practicing good hygiene and following the tips provided in this leaflet, will reduce drastically the chance of the average person contracting MRSA."