HR1077 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1077 LRB095 20393 DRJ 47889 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of infection that is resistant to treatment with the usual antibiotics and is the most common pathogen that causes Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) in the United States and around the world; and

WHEREAS, A study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in 2005 more than 94,000 invasive MRSA infections occurred in the United States and more than 18,500 of these infections resulted in death; and

WHEREAS, The percentage of MRSA infections in the United States that are antimicrobial-resistant has grown from 2 percent in 1974 to 63 percent in 2004; and

WHEREAS, The annual number of hospitalizations associated with MRSA infections more than doubled between 1999 and 2004, from 127,036 to 278,203; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 85 percent of all invasive MRSA infections were associated with healthcare; and

WHEREAS, Serious MRSA infections occur most frequently among individuals in hospitals and healthcare facilities, particularly the elderly, those undergoing dialysis, and those with surgical wounds; and

WHEREAS, Individuals infected with MRSA are most likely to have longer and more expensive hospital stays, with an average cost of $35,000; and

WHEREAS, MRSA results in more than $3,000,000,000 in annual Medicare charges alone, a major factor in the over $5,000,000,000 annual price tag for treating healthcare associated infections in the United States; and

WHEREAS, There has been an increase in reported staph infection outbreaks, including antibiotic-resistant strains, in states such as Illinois, New York, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, and Florida, and in the District of Columbia; and

WHEREAS, Clusters of MRSA have been reported since 2000 among competitive sports teams, where it is transmitted through personal contact, sharing towels or equipment, and sharing locker facilities; and

WHEREAS, Anyone, not just an infected patient, can be a vehicle for the transmission of MRSA through skin-to-skin contact; and

WHEREAS, MRSA is a preventable disease when appropriate hygienic practices, such as hand washing and appropriate first aid for open wounds and active skin infections, are followed; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we:

(1) recognize the need to apply what is already known about reducing the transmission of infections in hospitals and rationalizing antibiotic prescribing practices;

(2) recognize the need to pursue operational research to find the best ways of preventing hospital- and community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and developing new antibiotics for improving care for MRSA patients;

(3) recognize the importance of raising awareness of MRSA and methods of preventing MRSA infections;

(4) support the work of advocates and organizations in educating, supporting, and providing hope for individuals and their families affected by community and healthcare associated infections; and

(5) designate the month of March 2008 as "MRSA Awareness Month".