MRSA IN VIRGINIA
10/24/2007
Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has been the lead permit and enforcement office for permitting agricultural
sludge disposal sites. VDH has forced public exposure of the public to pathogen contaminated sludge knowing it was
contaminated at a most probable level of 56 million E. coli per ounce of dry sludge (two million per gram dry weight)
with unknown levels of gram negative and gram positive bacteria including streptococcus and staphylococcus.
Pathogens in the liquid potion of sludge are not counted or factored into the regulations and may runoff into the
rivers. Allowing bacterial disease contaminated sludge (biosolids) to be spread on cropland, school grounds, and
lawns has been a direct conflict with VDH'S mission.
Virginia Department of Health Overview
Our mission is to achieve and maintain optimum personal and community health by emphasizing health promotion,
disease prevention and environmental protection. click here for more agency info>>
VDH is made up of a statewide Central Office in Richmond and 35 local health districts. These entities work
together to promote healthy lifestyle choices that can combat chronic disease, to educate the public about
emergency preparedness and threats to their health, and to track disease outbreaks in Virginia.
Robert Parker, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Health, said three MRSA outbreaks have been reported
so far this year in the state, making 2007 no worse than prior years. "VDH (Virginia Department of Health) considers
it to be sort of ubiquitous but not a public health threat any more today than it was yesterday or the day before,"
Parker said.
MRSA hospital discharges since sludge disposal on cropland, parks, school grounds and lawns was permitted
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Now that MRSA has become pandemic sludge permitting authority is being turned over to the
Department of Environmental Quality. Now it appears VDH's mission is to prevent a panic.
Governor's Office of Virginia on Oct 24 2007 21:17:06
Virginia Governor Approves Emergency Regulation on MRSA
Governor Timothy M. Kaine today approved an emergency regulation by the State Health Commissioner that
requires laboratories to report Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection to the Virginia
Department of Health (VDH). The regulation is effective today, and will assist public health authorities in the effort to
compile data on the prevalence of MRSA for surveillance and investigation.
21 Virginia Schools Closed due to MRSA
Associated Press
October 16, 2007
BEDFORD, Virginia - A high school student who was hospitalized for more than a week with an antibiotic-resistant
staph infection has died, and officials shut down 21 schools for cleaning to keep the illness from spreading.
Ashton Bonds, 17, a senior at Staunton River High School, died Monday after being diagnosed with
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, his mother said.
Bacteria that killed Virginia teen found in other schools October 18, 2007
On Wednesday, school officials in Connecticut confirmed that one student at Weston High School and one at
Newtown High School had been diagnosed with MRSA. In Rockville, Maryland, at least 13 students have been
diagnosed with MRSA. Cases have been reported in Ohio, Michigan and other states. Although school principals
have observed that the bacteria predominantly affects student athletes, cases have been reported in children of
elementary school age as well.
Schools plan community meeting on MRSA on Oct. 29
Rappahannock County Public Schools will hold an informational meeting for employees, parents and students on
Oct. 29 to discuss MRSA staph infection and answer questions, Superintendent Robert Chappell announced. Four
students have been diagnosed with the drug-resistant MRSA infection and treated, including three in the high school
and one in the elementary school.
1996
50,300
2001
175,000
1999
100,600
1998
89,400
2000
128,500
1997
69,800
1995
38,100
1993
1,900
2002
207,900
1994
17,600
2005
368,300
2003
240,300
2004
289,100