Fight MRSA -- the World MRSA Day Kickoff Event and Global MRSA Summit

CHICAGO, July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Join us in the fight against MRSA at the Fourth Annual World MRSA Day Kickoff event and Global MRSA Summit on September 29, 2012 in Chicago. The annual event is organized by MRSA Survivors Network, the global leader in the fight against MRSA, healthcare-acquired infections and antimicrobial resistance. The 2012 global theme for World MRSA Day, October 2 and World MRSA Awareness Month, October is 'The MRSA Epidemic – A Call to Action'.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090825/DC65136LOGO )

"We are all in this together and must work together- we are the community of hope," states Jeanine Thomas, founder of MRSA Survivors Network and national spokesperson. 'MRSA survivors and their families are coming from across the United States to join in this uplifting event.'

Fourth Annual World MRSA Day Kickoff Event and Global MRSA Summit

The fourth annual World MRSA Day Kickoff Event and Global MRSA Summit will be held Saturday, September 29, 2012 at the Hilton Garden Inn Chicago/Oak Brook in Oak Brook Terrace, Illinois from 10:30am to 12:00pm and will bring together world renowned MRSA and infectious disease specialists, MRSA survivors and their families along with healthcare professionals in the united effort to raise awareness to the global epidemic.

The Keynote Speaker is Dr. William R. Jarvis of Jason & Jarvis Associates LLC, formerly with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a leading MRSA expert and infectious disease specialist. Dr. Michael Pulia from the Loyola Medical Center will speak on community-acquired MRSA. Mr. Rob Stafford, evening news anchor for NBC5 Chicago is the emcee and Reverend Henry Soles, senior chaplain of the Chicago Bulls basketball team will lead in a prayer. MRSA survivors and their families will share their personal stories to help others understand the impact of preventable MRSA infections have on them and their families. This annual event brings all stakeholders together in hope and raising awareness.

Sponsors: Pfizer, the Copper Development Association and media sponsor NBC5 Chicago.

Award Ceremony

This year's award recipients are: Dr. William R. Jarvis of Jason & Jarvis Associates, LLC recipient of the Barry M. Farr 'Humanitarian Award', Illinois Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno recipient of the 'Woman of the Year Award' and Illinois Senate President John Cullerton recipient of the 'Man of the Year Award'.

Events and programs will be held in other U.S. cities and worldwide with MRSA Action UK participating in three U.K. events. Plan your event now!

Posters, brochures and banners can be downloaded at www.WorldMRSAday.org  and a public service announcement (PSA) by True Productions will air on NBC Chicago stations and can also be viewed on MRSA Survivors Network YouTube Channel and websites.

Co-chairs of the Chicago event: Illinois State Rep. Patti Bellock, Pat Merryweather – Telligen and Jeanine Thomas.

Active Detection

Recent data show that active detection and isolation (ADI) measures are starting to turn the tide on MRSA infections in U.S. hospitals. The CDC has reported a decrease in invasive and healthcare-acquired infection MRSA rates (http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/statistics/index.html). In addition, a national survey of Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC) member hospitals has documented that the MRSA prevalence in 2010 is higher than that reported in the APIC 2006 survey. However, the majority of facilities currently are performing ADI, including active surveillance testing and compared with 2006, the rate of MRSA infection has decreased while the rate of MRSA colonization has increased. In addition, the survey showed that compared with 2006, the proportion of MRSA strains recovered from MRSA-colonized/infected patients that are healthcare-acquired strains has decreased, and community-acquired strains have increased (Jarvis WR et al. AM J Infect Control. 2012:40:194-200). Thus, these data show that as more aggressive MRSA control measures, including ADI, are being implemented in U.S. healthcare facilities, for the first time MRSA infection rates are starting to decrease in many decades.

Immediate Action

The MRSA epidemic is spreading worldwide and many in the community are unaware with new strains having emerged in China, India and Gaza City. The fact that more Americans are dying every year from invasive MRSA infections than from HIV/AIDS is alarming. MRSA is found world-wide in healthcare and community facilities, in farm, zoo and oceanic animals, household pets and even on some coastal beaches.

The World Health Organization (WHO) must finally acknowledge the MRSA epidemic and set up a worldwide MRSA surveillance and reporting system. Such a system would facilitate the collection of data on MRSA infections and colonization with a public release of such data on a designated web site.

The nonprofit organization MRSA Survivors Network was founded in 2003 by Jeanine Thomas, a survivor of MRSA sepsis and has been the global leader in launching awareness campaigns world-wide: World MRSA Day, World MRSA Awareness Month and Int'l MRSA Testing Week.

MRSA Survivor's Network MRSA Crisis Hotline in the United States is: 630 325-4354. For information on how you can become a corporate sponsor for World MRSA Day, donate (sponsorships and donations are tax deductible), volunteer or get involved to make a difference, contact us at: 630 325-4354, www.MRSAsurvivors.org , [email protected] ,  www.Twitter.com/MRSAsurvivors and at Facebook.com/MRSASurvivorsNetwork.

SOURCE MRSA Survivors Network