Battling alarming staph infections

It is tragic that it has taken the startling increase in staph infections to focus the public consciousness so alarmingly.

The American Medical Association announced that Methycillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, or MRSA, has cost 19,000 Americans their lives, the most recent a student in Virginia. Newspaper and television press reported the closing of several schools in Connecticut and Virginia in order to disinfect locker rooms, gyms and classrooms.

These staph infections, also referred to as superbugs, were the reason I passed HB378/SB233, which has now become law (Public Act 95-0312). Jeanine Thomas, a local resident who herself was a victim of a MRSA infection, brought the issue to my attention two years ago that MRSA had become epidemic across the country. Since then, we have sought measures to stop the spread of this pernicious bacterial infection by stressing the importance of hand-washing regimens, requiring a simple screening for all ICU and at-risk patients, reporting of cases to public health and isolation.

Although the most recently publicized cases were community-acquired MRSA, 85 percent of the cases still occur in hospitals. Earlier this year, I encountered many public health officials who were reluctant to test, isolate and take other specific measures needed to prevent the spread of superbugs. As more of these cases have been publicized, the need to tackle this vigorously has become increasingly evident. A conservative estimate of a 53 percent rise in MRSA cases over the last three years underscores the importance of continuing to work with health-care officials to reduce the number of cases.

I applaud the Illinois Hospital Association and other health-care officials who supported SB 233. Their willingness to address such an important topic has put Illinois in the lead to reduce infections by taking proper precautions to ensure all patients remain safe and disease free.

State Rep. Patricia R. Bellock

Hinsdale