Government should take a leading role in calming hysteria when dangerous medical conditions are reported at public schools, Prince William County Superintendent Steven Walts told Congress Wednesday.
The death of a Virginia high school student in October sparked alarm about the dangers of contracting drug-resistant staph infections, forcing schools to tackle the enormous communications challenge of getting the best information to parents, while also urging them not to be alarmed, he said.
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“Government could help to serve as the calming force with the public by alleviating unfounded fears,” said Walts, whose school district has reported 21 cases of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus this school year.
The greater public awareness helped lead to better treatment of MRSA cases, but also created more tension than necessary, Walts told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Committee ranking member Tom Davis, R-Va., said the recent nationwide MRSA outbreaks demand a robust response.
Lawmakers asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to consider mandatory reporting for serious invasive cases of MRSA, a bacterial infection recently linked by scientists to about 19,000 deaths each year. Virginia is one of 22 states in which reporting is required.
“This is not the last antibiotic-resistant organism we’ll confront, and the emergence of MRSA raises important questions about the reach and sensitivity of disease surveillance and reporting systems,” said Davis, who had requested the hearing. “A robust response to the spread of MRSA will help reassure a nervous public and better prepare us for the next superbug.”
The key to addressing preventable bacterial infections is “getting back to basics,” and emphasizing proper hygiene and prompt treatment of wounds, said CDC Director Dr. Julie Louise Gerberding.
“When something like this tragedy occurs in your community, it does raise everybody’s sensitivity and concern and we want to assure parents that schools are taking steps to protect students,” Gerberding said.
One broad step would be expanding school nurse positions to all of the nation’s schools to improve communication and identify new concerns quickly, she said.
