The MRSA Epidemic, World MRSA Day -- Global MRSA Summit

CHICAGO, Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Help us in the fight against MRSA. MRSA activists and survivors along with their families are uniting in the global fight against MRSA, healthcare-acquired infections (HAI's) and antimicrobial resistance. World MRSA Day, October 2 and World MRSA Awareness Month, October are designated annual awareness dates.

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

"The continued human suffering, disabling and loss of life from this preventable disease is shattering entire families – we are the community of hope and healing," states MRSA Survivors Network founder Jeanine Thomas.

MRSA is found world-wide in healthcare and community facilities, in farm, zoo and oceanic animals, household pets and on some coastal beaches.

The 2012 global theme is 'The MRSA Epidemic – A Call to Action' and brings critical attention to the worldwide public health crisis.  MRSA Survivors Network continues to urgently plea for the World Health Organization (WHO), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to finally recognize the MRSA epidemic and set up a worldwide surveillance and reporting program. 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 and also strongly recommend pro-active implementation of ADI (active detection and isolation) to control MRSA in healthcare facilities worldwide. The CDC must finally alert the U.S. Congress concerning the MRSA epidemic and ask for funds for awareness and prevention campaigns as they did for H1N1 influenza ($1.2B).

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 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and will bring together healthcare personnel, MRSA survivors and their families uniting to raise awareness to the global epidemic. The event is open to the public with free admission and parking – bring the entire family!

Sponsors: Pfizer, Antimicrobial Copper and media sponsor NBC5 Chicago.

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 world renowned MRSA expert and infectious disease specialist. 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. It is a time of healing for all. A balloon release for MRSA survivors and families will close the event along with a short seminar on "How to Become a MRSA Champion."

MRSA Studies

Recent data show that active detection and isolation (ADI) measures are starting to turn the tide on MRSA infections in U.S. hospitals. 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.

Another recent study from researchers at the University HealthSystem Consortium and the University of Chicago Medicine revealed that MRSA infection rates are low due to patients being hospitalized for another ailment and MRSA is not recorded and therefore under-reporting of MRSA occurs. It is estimated by many that the true number of MRSA deaths each year is over 100,000 in the United States alone and yet the CDC has still not released MRSA infection rates since 2005.

Plan Your Event Now!

Now is the time for MRSA activists and healthcare personnel to plan their World MRSA Day or World MRSA Awareness Month event or campaign in their community. Hold an event at a local school, place of worship, community center, local neighborhood park, in your home or healthcare facility. Events will be held in U.S. cities, worldwide and MRSA Survivors Network's alliance partner, MRSA Action UK is participating in three U.K. events.  Downloadable Posters, brochures and web banners are at www.WorldMRSAday.org and a (PSA) by True Productions will air on NBC Chicago stations and viewed on MRSA Survivors Network YouTube Channel and websites.

The nonprofit organization MRSA Survivors Network was founded in 2003 by Jeanine Thomas, a survivor of MRSA sepsis and complicating C. difficile and was the first patient advocate to raise the alarm in the U.S. MSN conducts awareness campaigns worldwide: World MRSA Day, World MRSA Awareness Month and Int'l MRSA Testing Week and operates the only MRSA Crisis Hotline in the United States: 630 325-4354.

For information on how you can become a corporate sponsor for World MRSA Day, donate ( 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