Kaine Requires Labs To Report Staph Cases

Monitoring Will Track Infection Trend

Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine acts to gather data on staph. (James A. Parcell - Freelance)

Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) approved an emergency regulation yesterday requiring laboratories to report all cases of drug-resistant staph infections to the state Health Department.

The requirement, effective immediately, was prompted by concerns over a growing number of reports of the virulent staph infections across the state, including many in schools. A Bedford County teenager died after the infection spread to his kidneys, liver and lungs and the muscle around his heart.

The data will allow state health officials to monitor cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and offer guidance on how to ward off new infections, officials said. Although the infections can be serious, simple steps such as hand washing limit risk.

"This will give us a handle on the magnitude of the problem," said Carl Armstrong, a medical epidemiologist with the Virginia Department of Health. "It will give us a way to monitor trends over time. . . . It will allow us to gauge how well our prevention efforts and the prevention efforts of schools and hospitals are working."

Doctors diagnose MRSA by sending cultures from people suspected of having the infection to laboratories for testing. Now, the labs will be required to report identified cases of the infection to state health officials -- a procedure already followed with illnesses including Lyme disease and malaria.

Although health experts say cases of the antibiotic-resistant staph are on the rise, a detailed picture of the scope of the infections is not available, because most states do not require reporting of individual cases. Maryland and D.C. health officials said such reporting is not required in their jurisdictions.

However, Maryland and the District, like Virginia, do require reporting of any outbreak, including MRSA. Outbreaks are generally defined as three cases that occur close in time and have a common link -- for instance, if all three people attend the same school or live in the same nursing home.

In recent weeks, public schools in the Washington region have reported more than 50 cases of drug-resistant staph infections among students or staff. Many occurred earlier in the year. Schools have stepped up efforts to keep locker rooms clean and are urging students and parents to use simple precautions, such as frequent hand washing and keeping open cuts covered.

Yesterday, Prince George's County schools notified parents of the school system's first reported case. School officials said the student has been successfully treated. Montgomery County schools yesterday reported two new cases, at Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Paint Branch high schools, for a total of 23. Ten of those remain active, while the rest have recovered, said schools spokeswoman Kate Harrison.

MRSA cases also have been reported at schools in the District and in Prince William, Loudoun and Fairfax counties. In Maryland, there also have been cases at schools in Anne Arundel and Howard counties.

Millions of people routinely carry staph bacteria on their skin or in their nasal passages. Many infections are relatively mild, as the body successfully fights the germ. But this virulent strain of the microbe can turn minor cuts and sores into life-threatening conditions.

Staff writer Daniel de Vise contributed to this report.