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California Makes MRSA a Reportable Disease

California's Department of Public Health announced recently that the state has mandated reporting for severe cases of staph infection and MRSA. California, in an effort to better understand this new epidemic and find ways of controling the spread of this dangerous disease, now requires that hospitals report these cases to local health departments, which will in turn forward such reports to the state level. Once confined to a hospital setting, MRSA is now affecting otherwise healthy people at an alarming rate. The amendment to Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, which added staph infections and MRSA to the list of reportable diseases, became effective in February 2008. To read more, click here.

MRSA in Facelift Patients

Not surprisingly, the rate of MRSA infections in patients who receive facelifts has risen. The report published in the current issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery said doctors who perform face-lifts may want to start screening patients to track down those who may be at risk. It is recommended that before any elective surgery, as part of the preoperative evaluation, a patient's full medical history should include information on possible prior contacts with persons at high risk for carrying MRSA. To read more, click here.

Bakersfield Teen Dies from MRSA

A West High student, 16 year old Marissa Reyna, died on February 17, 2008 after being admitted to Bakersfield Memorial Hospital with flu-like symptoms. Her pneumonia was caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, or MRSA, and Reyna's condition was worsened by her diabetic status. Because of the severity of the disease and the rates at which illness and death are increasing in the state, MRSA became a reportable condition in California in February. To read more, click here.

School Disinfects Grounds After MRSA Case Confirmed

A school in Lynchburg, VA closed its doors in order to disinfect its grounds after a student was confirmed with MRSA. The parent of a Sandusky Middle School student alerted school officials that their child had been diagnosed with MRSA and the school promptly canceled all after-school activities so that the building could be cleaned and disinfected. Fortunately, the student is on antibiotics and recovering at home.

The third confirmed MRSA case in city schools this school year, the state of Virginia is understandably concerned over the threat. Governor Timothy M. Kaine approved an emergency regulation requiring that medical laboratories report MRSA infections to the Virginia Department of Health. MRSA, which can be contracted through injury to the skin and spread through equipment or direct contact with the affected area, is common among athletes. The infection often appears as a painful pimple or boil. The best prevention against the disease is cleanliness. To read more, click here.