Stop MRSA - World MRSA Awareness Month, October

CHICAGO, Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MRSA activists are demanding that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declare MRSA an ongoing epidemic in U.S. Healthcare facilities, in the community and inform U.S. Congress.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121009/DC88730)

MRSA is spreading at alarming rates in the community and within healthcare facilities worldwide. MRSA colonization and infections are occurring in pets, farm and zoo animals. MRSA has been found on U.S. west coast beaches, in sea animals and in the food supply.

"The global theme for World MRSA Awareness Month is 'The MRSA Epidemic – A Call to Action' and draws critical attention to the public healthcare crisis," states Jeanine Thomas, founder of MRSA Survivors Network. World MRSA Awareness Month is an annual designated awareness date that passed as a senate resolution in the U.S. Senate in 2009.

The death rate from MRSA in the United States continues to climb as MRSA goes under reported by U.S. healthcare facilities and 85% of all MRSA infections originate in healthcare facilities. Well over 19,000 Americans die from invasive MRSA every year and 2,600 from community-acquired MRSA  (CA-MRSA). MRSA continues to be a secret and silent killer.

"MRSA should be a top political priority in the United States and globally," says Jeanine Thomas.

MRSA Survivors Network, a grassroots nonprofit organization, founded in 2003 is committed to changing the story of MRSA and healthcare-acquired infections (HAI's). As the only national organization for MRSA, MRSA Survivors Network are fighting MRSA through sharing survivors compelling  and impactful stories, launching global awareness campaigns, supporting cutting-edge research into prevention and treatment methods, giving support through their MRSA Crisis Hotline and sending directly to disadvantaged MRSA victims wound care items.

There are no support services in the United States at a state or federal level for MRSA victims that are impacted from disabling MRSA infections as there are for HIV/AIDS patients. There are no MRSA clinics, housing, free MRSA screening, wound care, etc. In fact many county health departments refuse to treat MRSA patients with infections – this is inhumane. Many MRSA victims are uninsured or underinsured.

As MRSA Survivors Network runs the only MRSA crisis hotline in the U.S., MRSA patients share their personal stories of struggles to stay alive, be treated for MRSA infections and many have become bankrupt, homeless, permanently disabled, shunned and denied treatment from hospitals – it is a dehumanizing experience.

MRSA victims in Northern Europe do not go bankrupt from a MRSA infection and in fact in the United Kingdom family members of MRSA victims are compensated by the government. MRSA victims did not do anything wrong – they went to a healthcare facility for treatment and were colonized and infected from a preventable disease due to ongoing lapses in infection control.  MRSA is treatable, but incurable. We have a real public health crisis that is being ignored by the CDC, DHHS, World Health Organization (WHO) along with federal and state health officials, the media and the healthcare industry. The WHO must set up a global surveillance and reporting system for MRSA colonization and infection rates and reported on a designated website as health officials and the public worldwide continue to be in the dark to the true magnitude of the epidemic globally.

World MRSA Day and Global MRSA Summit

The 4^th Annual World MRSA Day Kickoff Event and Global MRSA Summit on September 29, 2012 in Chicago was a great success and MRSA survivors, their families along with health officials, physicians, clergy, infection preventionists, legislators and the media all united to listen to presentations and survivor's personal and compelling stories. It was a truly uplifting and a day of healing.  Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Unite spoke personally to the attendees via a video he produced and his message was strong and supportive to MRSA survivors. A balloon release concluded the event with attendees writing the name of a MRSA victim on the balloon and then the balloons were released together – it was a  moment of remembrance.

Sponsors: Pfizer, Antimicrobial Copper with media sponsor NBC Chicago.

World MRSA Awareness Month, October

Events and programs will be held in other U.S. cities and worldwide throughout the month of October, World MRSA Awareness Month with MRSA Survivors Network's alliance partner, MRSA Action UK participating in three U.K. events.

Posters, brochures and banners can be downloaded at www.WorldMRSAday.org and individuals can create their own campaign or event. Public service announcements (PSA) by True Productions air throughout the year on NBC Chicago stations and can also be viewed on MRSA Survivors Network YouTube Channel and websites.

MRSA Survivors Network conducts annual designated awareness campaigns worldwide: World MRSA Day, World MRSA Awareness Month and Int'l MRSA Testing Week, April 1-7 and operates the only MRSA Crisis Hotline in the United States: 630-325-4354.

For information on how you can become a corporate sponsor, donate ( tax deductible), volunteer and get involved in the movement 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