U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Baltimore City, will introduce legislation today that would establish a national database to track cases of the antibiotic-resistant strain of staphylococcus and other potentially deadly infections.
“The time is long overdue for us to develop and widely distribute best practice guidelines for curbing infectious diseases,” Cummings said in a statement.
“We must hold hospitals accountable for their action or inaction on this issue by empowering patients with information about hospitals in their area and how they measure up when it comes to the prevalence of [methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus] in their facilities.”
MRSA is a type of bacteria that can cause skin infections and is resistant to some antibiotics. It?s spread most commonly through direct physical contact but also through contaminated surfaces or personal items, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An estimated 18,000 people die yearly from MRSA, according to CDC data. Most cases, about 85 percent, originate in hospitals, according to CDC data. As of this week, there have been 32 confirmed cases of MRSA in schools in the Baltimore region, according to health and school officials. Anne Arundel County has had the most confirmed cases, with 12.
The bill, called the Community and Healthcare-Associated Infections Reduction Act of 2007, takes a comprehensive approach to address the prevalence of the community-based outbreaks, outbreaks outside of hospital settings, like schools, of MRSA and how it has risen in recent years.
“I?m also concerned with the emergent threat of community-acquired MRSA and I?m convinced that we must learn more about what is causing this trend and what we must do to address it,” Cummings said in the statement.
“The legislation I?ve introduced would address all these critical issues by presenting a comprehensive approach.”
