Assemblyman Jim Whelan Seeks Health/Education Strike Force To Handle MRSA Infections In Schools

WHELAN SEEKS HEALTH/EDUCATION STRIKE FORCE TO HANDLE MRSA INFECTIONS IN SCHOOLS

Assemblyman Cites Flurry of Reports on Student MRSA Infection Cases in New Jersey

(ATLANTIC CITY) - Assemblyman Jim Whelan today urged Governor Corzine to have state government proactively respond to the flurry of reports of New Jersey students who are infected with the potentially fatal infection methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

In a letter to Corzine, Whelan (D-Atlantic) specifically calls for the creation of a special strike force that would respond to school-related MRSA infections.  Whelan, a teacher, said such a specialized unit could consist of individuals from the state departments of education, health and senior citizens, and the state's higher education community.  He said the state Division of Communicable Diseases also should have a key role.

Whelan said the multi-agency strike force would chronicle student MRSA infections, oversee proper and uniform cleanups of school facilities where students report MRSA infections, and provide accurate up-to-date information to educators, students, and parents.

"We are now at a juncture where we should make a critical decision: should we engage this insidious health care threat immediately or should we wait until the numbers rise to more significant levels that amount to a crisis situation?," Whelan wrote in his letter.  "Frankly, I believe we should start confronting the issue of school-borne MRSA infections as aggressively and as soon as possible."

-- A Copy of Whelan's Letter Is Attached --

October 26, 2007

The Honorable Jon Corzine
Governor, State of New Jersey
P.O. Box 001
Trenton, N.J. 08625

Dear Governor Corzine:

There has been an alarming wave of news coverage in recent days regarding New Jersey students being diagnosed with potentially fatal methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.  This upsurge in news coverage comes on the heels of a new federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study that determined the super-staph-infection microbe is now claiming more American lives each year than the AIDS virus.

According to an Associated Press dispatch issued on Tuesday, at least eight New Jersey students have reported MRSA infections. The infected students include youngsters in elementary school to teenagers in college.  One of them -a 19-year-old Paramus man - has been hospitalized for three weeks and his mother says "he is fighting for his life."  The Star-Ledger of Newark has since reported additional MRSA cases -- one involving a student at Columbia High School in Maplewood and two involving students in Old Bridge.  Adding to my concern is a report in today's edition of The Press of Atlantic City that a student at Egg Harbor Township High School is now being treated for this "superbug infection."

These media reports coincide with similar stories in other states that also are now wrestling with the possible spread of MRSA in schools.  In one of those states, Virginia, a high school student has actually died from MRSA.

I'll be the first to admit that there may be an element of hysteria involved here.  We don't know, for example, if New Jersey schools are actually encountering more MRSA cases this year when compared to last year.  And it is unclear if MRSA has actually been transmitted between students in any New Jersey classroom or educational facility.

Still, this experience underscores some of the challenges New Jersey is likely to encounter if student MRSA infections become part of an upward trend as cited in the most recent CDC study.

We are now at a juncture where we should make a critical decision: should we engage this insidious health care threat immediately or should we wait until the numbers rise to more significant levels that amount to a crisis situation?  Frankly, I believe we should start confronting the issue of school-borne MRSA infections as aggressively and as soon as possible.

The recent news stories of student MRSA infections in New Jersey underscore several areas of concern we should address.  First, we appear to lack any sort of centralized system for specific recording of MRSA infections involving students.  Second, there does not appear to be any uniform procedures in place for schools and colleges to follow in the event a student contracts MRSA.  Third, perhaps the state should provide seminars for school administrators across the state so they can better handle MRSA cases.  And, finally, maybe a public education element is needed to allay parental and student concerns about MRSA.

To address these issues, I would like to recommend that the state form a multi-agency strike force to accurately chronicle student MRSA infections, oversee proper and thorough cleanups of school facilities attended by students who are found to be MRSA-infected, and provide accurate up-to-date information to educators, students, and parents.  Ideally, this strike force would include high-level officials from the education and health and senior services departments, as well as the New Jersey higher education system.  The state Division of Communicable Diseases also should have a pivotal role.  Please be advised that I intend to seek legislation along these lines and I would certainly covet your input and counsel in this regard.
 
You and your administration have taken significant steps in recent months to address the MRSA infection challenge in our hospitals and health care facilities.  You deserve credit for putting New Jersey in the vanguard of states in this regard.   The Department of Health and Senior Services also has produced some commendable fact sheets and press releases to better educate the public about this issue.

But as the recent news reports indicate, MRSA does not discriminate between schools and hospitals.  Moreover, the preponderance of scientific research indicates that drug-resistant staph infection rates are occurring more frequently than previously estimated.  We can and must do more to fully engage this mounting health care challenge.

Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely,
 

Assemblyman Jim Whelan
D-Atlantic