Do you know what MRSA means? Here's the complicated definition: Methicillin-Resistant Staphyloccus Aureus. Simply put, MRSA -- aka the "Superbug" -- is a strain of staph infection that's immune to many antibiotics. Why is that dangerous? If you don't know you have it, it can be deadly...especially for children. If a doctor doesn't test you or your child specifically for MRSA, he or she may unknowingly give you an antibiotic that won't fight it. And -- to make this "bug" even worse -- it's contagious. Hence the term, "Superbug."
Now, here's the kicker: MRSA IS NOT A REPORTABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASE. That's right, hospitals in Texas aren't required to report confirmed cases of MRSA to the state or the city -- not even if someone dies from it. There are 25 states in the US that require hospitals and labs to report it -- Texas is NOT one of them. So, how are you supposed to know if a hospital -- perhaps the one where you may be giving birth -- has the infection floating around? You don't. Do you think that needs to change? If so, let's here it.
If you know anyone who has contracted MRSA in a San Antonio hospital, email me directly:
delainemathieu@woaitv.com
