Oct 19, 2007 1:50 pm US/Eastern
MRSA Victim Tells Her Story
by Mike Hellgren
MARYLAND (WJZ) ―
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Jennifer Scott, a MRSA victim, tells her story. (File)
CBS
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New research is showing a high number of cases in Baltimore City. (File)
CBS
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New federal research shows MRSA infects more than 90,000 and kills nearly 19,000 people nationwide each year. (File)
KDKA
A vicious, invasive form of staph known as MRSA is spreading outside hospitals. It's now killed twice the number of people health experts originally believed.
Mike Hellgren reports you can get it simply by shaking someone's hand.
"I would do natural childbirth again before having MRSA again. It was the worst ever," said Jennifer Scott.
Scott's nightmare began with a visit to the salon.
"I got my eyebrows waxed in a place that kept using the same stick on everybody," said Scott. "When I had it, they didn't know what it was."
Penicillin-based antibiotics won't cure it. Scott survived MRSA three times.
"People just don't realize how severe it can be. It can kill you," she said.
MRSA is different from the typical staph infection. Already schools in Anne Arundel County and Howard County have reported cases, but it's unknown how many are MRSA.
In Virginia, schools are being deep-cleaned after a 17-year-old died this week from the infection.
"MRSA is the reason why his kidneys started to fail," said Veronica Bonds, the victim's mother.
Common in gyms and among athletes, students are advised not to share towels and razors and to cover open wounds.
A hospital is the most likely place to contract a staph infection.
State Senator Lisa Gladden wants doctors to test patients who enter the hospital. She'll introduce legislation to mandate that.
"There's a crisis. There's a need, and we need to deal with it," said Gladden.
She also wants hospitals to publicly report their infection rates.
"While I would like us to pass the bill because it's good law, I think we're going to pass it now because of fear," said Gladden.
Right now, there's no official statewide count of MRSA cases.
A newly released study does name Baltimore City as having the highest rate of infection in the nation.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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