CHICAGO, Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "MRSA must immediately become a top political priority- people are dying and suffering needlessly," states Jeanine R. Thomas, founder of MRSA Survivors Network: http://www.mrsasurvivors.org/
World MRSA Day, October 2 and World MRSA Awareness Month, October are annual designated awareness dates and draw critical attention to the global public health crisis.
'The MRSA Epidemic – A Call to Action' is this year's global theme. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to vastly under report MRSA infection rates in the United States and there is a significant lack of transparency worldwide. In the U.S., community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) infection rates are not event being reported and they are increasing. We need a worldwide surveillance system set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) to track MRSA infection rates and these rates be published on a public website.
A bundled, comprehensive approach is needed for infection control in healthcare facilities, such as:
- Active detection (using rapid testing)
- Isolation
- Strict adherence to hand hygiene
- Decontamination of the environment using the latest technology such as UV disinfection systems
- Implementing a good stewardship program for antibiotics
The CDC responded to the Ebola outbreaks last year with a lack of leadership and we witnessed also the absence of training and clear infection control protocols in U.S. hospitals – this also has been the case with MRSA for decades. The CDC has completely ignored the ongoing MRSA epidemic– we are in the dark. This inaction has cost hundreds of thousands of lives in the U.S. alone and millions of Americans have become colonized and infected needlessly.
We are seeing alarming and increasing infection rates of CA-MRSA and LA-MRSA with the contamination of the environment: rivers, lakes and land which is putting the public at risk. "With the proliferation of factory farms (CAFO's) there is a growing health concern by those who are living in proximity to the operations," says Mr. Lynn Utesch of Kewaunee CARES of Wisconsin.
U.S Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL) has introduced a house resolution for World MRSA Day/Month to draw attention to the ongoing epidemic and to designate these dates. A similar resolution passed in the U.S. Senate in 2009. We urge the public to contact their district U.S. Rep. to support this resolution: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hres439/text .
"MRSA Action UK are proud to work with MRSA Survivors Network in helping to raise awareness now and in the future, our hope is that our respective Governments will work with us also to help keep patients safe," states Derek Butler of MRSA Action UK.
7th Annual World MRSA Day Kickoff Event & Global C. difficile Summit
The event was a huge success with standing room only as MRSA activists, survivors, presenters and infection preventionists along with their families uniting on September 26, 2015 in Hinsdale, Illinois for the 7th Annual World MRSA Day Kickoff Event & Global C. difficile Summit.
Major Sponsors: Gold level – Roche, NBC5 Chicago, Xenex.
Local event sponsors: Kewaunee CARES, Natural Health Research Foundation and Social Responsible Agriculture Project.
Dr. William R. Jarvis of Jason & Jarvis Associates LLC (formerly with the CDC) was Keynote Speaker and Dr. Michael Pulia of University of Wisconsin/Madison spoke on CA-MRSA and C. difficile. He also received the 'Barry M. Farr Humanitarian" award and 'Person of the Year'. Joseph Paz of University of New Mexico received the 'MRSA Youth Champion' award for 2015-2016. Mr. Lynn Utesch of Kewaunee CARES spoke about livestock-acquired MRSA (LA-MRSA) and its impact on the environment and community. Survivor stories were told by Jason Suciu and Karen Hudson.
Special thanks to Mr. Rob Stafford, evening news anchor of NBC5 Chicago for being our Master of Ceremony since 2009, the World MRSA Day Committee, Legislator Honorary Committee and True Productions.
Downloadable posters, brochures and banners are available at www.WorldMRSAday.org .
MRSA Survivors Network is the first patient advocacy organization in the U.S. to raise the alarm. Ms. Thomas is the founder of World MRSA Day, World MRSA Awareness Month, International MRSA Testing Week and founder of the patient advocacy movement for MRSA and healthcare-acquired infections (HAI's) in the United States. She is a survivor of MRSA, sepsis and C. difficile and became critically ill after ankle surgery.
For information on how you can become a Corporate Sponsor (sponsorships and donations are tax deductible), organize an event, donate, volunteer and get involved to make a difference, contact us at: 630 325-4354, www.MRSAsurvivors.org, [email protected], Twitter.com/MRSAsurvivors and at Facebook.com/MRSASurvivorsNetwork.
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SOURCE MRSA Survivors Network
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