Studies Report 2 Million Americans Carry Drug-Resistant Staph Bacterium as Infection Rates Continue to Rise

Expert Commentary Available: Better Surveillance Programs Needed to Reduce the Spread of MRSA, Improve Patient Outcomes & Curb Healthcare Costs

Data from two new studies illustrate the growing public healthconcern for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

In a study published in the January 15 issue of the Journal ofInfectious Diseases (2006; 193:172-9, Kuehnert et al.), scientistsfrom the United States Centers for Disease Control and Preventionfound 32%, or 90 million Americans were colonized with Staph bacteriawhile 1% or 2 million Americans were colonized with theantibiotic-resistant MRSA strain. Another study published in theFebruary 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases (2006; 42:389-391,Klevens et al.) found from 1992 to 2003 the percent of staphinfections contracted in hospitals rose from 35.9% to 64.4%.

Once only a concern in healthcare settings, cases of communityacquired MRSA (CA-MRSA), spread by touching contaminated surfaces inlocker rooms and gymnasiums, are on the rise. If MRSA enters the bodythrough the skin it can cause irritating skin infections, but if itenters the bloodstream or lungs, it can cause serious bloodinfections, pneumonia and even death.

New Antibiotics Not the Only Hope: Surveillance Another, PerhapsBetter, Solution

Growing concern for MRSA infection rates caused many experts tocall for new antibiotics, while the benefit of diligent surveillanceprograms is under-reported. Identifying MRSA carriers, isolating them,and administering targeted antibiotics is an effective method to stopthe spread of MRSA. (The Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark eliminatedMRSA from their hospitals with stringent surveillance programs). New,rapid molecular diagnostic tests deliver results in two hours vs.culture tests that take days to develop. In addition to reducing thespread of MRSA and improving patient outcomes, surveillance presentssignificant cost savings--un-reimbursed costs of treating a singleMRSA infection are $25,000-$40,000.

David H. Persing, M.D., Ph.D and Lance R. Peterson, M.D., canoffer expert insight on the importance of MRSA surveillance and thebenefits of new rapid, molecular diagnostic technologies.

Dr. Persing is Executive Vice President, Chief Medical &Technology Officer at Cepheid (Nasdaq: CPHD) developer of real-timemolecular diagnostic technologies for MRSA and other pathogens. Dr.Persing founded the Molecular Microbiology Lab at the Mayo Clinic thatpioneered many diagnostic techniques used in molecular pathology labstoday.

Dr. Peterson is an epidemiologist in the Division of Microbiologyat Evanston (Ill.) Northwestern Healthcare and Professor of Pathologyand Medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.He oversees Evanston Northwestern Healthcare's system-wide MRSAscreening program, the first of its kind in the nation, which uses arapid molecular diagnostic test to screen all patients for MRSA atadmission.

To arrange an interview with Dr. Persing and Dr. Peterson pleasecontact Chris Stamm or Tom Bain at 781-684-0770 or e-mailcepheid@schwartz-pr.com.