Group raises alarm about hospital germ

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 25 (UPI) -- A U.S. watchdog group Monday urged hospitals to more aggressively fight drug-resistant staph infections because they may be more common than thought.

Consumers Union said a new report released by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology found methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, infections in hospitals are 8.6 times more prevalent than previous estimates.

In addition, the superbug is found in all wards throughout most hospitals, according to the APIC report.

"MRSA is lurking in every U.S. hospital and poses a serious and sometimes deadly health risk to patients who are unwittingly exposed to these superbugs," said Lisa McGiffert, director of Consumers Union's Stop Hospital Infections Campaign.

"Unfortunately, most hospitals are not doing enough to keep these antibiotic-resistant germs in check," McGiffert added. "It's time for hospitals to aggressively step up their efforts to protect patients from these preventable infections."

McGiffert said effective control practices exist that can keep MRSA infections in check, but most U.S. hospitals are not consistently following them. She urged hospitals to invest the resources to protect patients from MRSA because it will ultimately save money and lives.