What is the government doing?

What is CDC doing to address MRSA in the community?

• CDC is concerned about MRSA in communities and is working with multiple partners on prevention strategies.

• CDC is working with 4 states in a project to define the spectrum of disease, determine populations affected, and developing studies to define who is at particular risk for infection

• CDC is working with state health departments to assist in the development of surveillance systems for tracking MRSA in the community

• CDC is using the National Health and Nutritional Evaluation Survey (NHANES) to estimate the number of individuals in the United States who carry staph bacteria in their nose

• CDC works with laboratories across the country to improve the detection of MRSA through training personnel and use of appropriate testing methods

• CDC provides technical expertise to hospitals and state and local health departments on infection control in healthcare settings, including control of MRSA

• CDC laboratories are working to characterize the unique features of MRSA strains from the community.

• CDC's National Campaign

What's happening in the rest of the world?

Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Research National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staph. Aureus (MRSA) Infection
South African National Institute For Communicable Disease

What can you do?

• Educate! No matter what your own education level is you can share with others what you have learned. You'd be surprised how many healthcare workers out there don't have a clue that MRSA/ORSA is loose in the community, much less that it's a one of a few agressive strains that can attack healthy skin.

• Tell your friends and family to question use of antibiotics without culturing first to see if the bacteria is susceptible to what the doctor is writing a prescription.

• Whether a doctor says it's a spider bite, a boil, or an infected pimple. Ask for a culture!

• Pray! Yes pray. Talk to God. Tell Him when you can't handle things on your own and need His grace and mercy. Studies have shown prayer to work and what is more, I HAVE SEEN PRAYER WORK!

Who are the experts?

Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS)

"Beating Back The Devil" Available at Amazon.com
A great read over all but has one whole chapter dedicated to Community Acquired S. Aureus. Shows all that is being done for a number of diseases that could be plaguing us if they weren't ready to confront outbreaks at a moments notice.