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StaphAseptic™ News
MRSA survivors say screening is key
October 7, 2009
Chicago Tribune
By Alex Parker
Special to the Tribune
Ken Reimer's activism began when his infant daughter, Madeline, died after contracting a mysterious illness.
In Jeanine Thomas' case, doctors almost amputated her leg. Debbie Holsten spent nearly $150,000 recovering from a superbug.
This month, Reimer, Thomas and Holsten are speaking up about the dangerous bacterium that caused them so much pain. They are among a passionate group of local activists urging more action to stem the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA...
"The media and the government like the disease du jour," said Dr. William Jarvis, an Oregon-based infectious disease specialist who has studied the spread of MRSA. "I think the time has come for our government to spend sufficient resources to stop MRSA infections."
When compared with much-publicized diseases such as SARS and swine flu, Jarvis and others say the dangers of MRSA demand a stronger response.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider MRSA a "major public health problem" and estimate that 19,000 people die from MRSA in the United States each year. Fewer than 15,000 die annually from HIV/AIDS...
This is only a portion of the original article. To read the entire article visit ChicagoTribune.com
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