Appearance of new antibiotic-resistant staph infections is subject of April 8 webcast, broadcast
| March 29, 2005 | |
| CHAPEL HILL — New strains of antibiotic-resistant staph infections will be the topic of an April 8 program sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Public Health, in partnership with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”Antimicrobial Resistance: Old Bugs, New Threats and the Public Health Response,” an hour-long webcast and satellite broadcast, is part of the Public Health Grand Rounds series. The 2 p.m. program will be broadcast from the Mayes Center, 231 Rosenau Hall. Seating is available for the public.
More than 330 sites in 49 states have registered to view the free program via satellite. Registration and other details are available at http://www.PublicHealthGrandRounds.unc.edu. Questions may be submitted at interactive satellite conference sites, by fax or online. Continuing education credit will be offered based on one hour of instruction. The rise in antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic-resistant staph infections in communities and health-care settings nationwide has been a cause for concern among public health leaders. This program, the 21st in the Public Health Grand Rounds series, will feature a case study of Seattle-King County, Wash., whose public health department is building partnerships, providing education and making surveillance a top priority to prevent the spread of such antimicrobial resistance. The program will feature information on staph infections caused by new strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which have caused outbreaks in several states and illness among people previously not considered at risk for infection. “MRSA is an emerging threat,” said Dr. Jeff Engel, state epidemiologist with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. “We have had outbreaks of serious skin infections in high school and college athletic teams, schools and day-care centers, and prisons and jails. The germ exploits conditions of frequent skin-to-skin contact, crowding and poor hygiene.” The program will be of particular interest to those in the public health community concerned with emerging antimicrobial-resistant infections and the stemming epidemic of unnecessary antibiotic use, said Dr. Hugh Tilson, clinical professor of epidemiology and health policy at UNC’s School of Public Health. Tilson will present the case study during the broadcast. “I would encourage community partners – particularly community physicians and those working in official health agencies – to view this Grand Rounds together and have an action discussion afterward,” Tilson said. Joining Tilson and Engel on the panel will be Dr. Todd Weber, director of the Office of Antimicrobial Resistance at the CDC’s National Center for Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Katherine Heilpren, associate professor and vice chairwoman for academic affairs at Emory University’s Department of Emergency Medicine. Heilpren also is assistant dean in the Office of Medical Education and Student Affairs at Emory. The panel is moderated by Dr. William L. Roper, dean of UNC’s School of Medicine, chief executive officer of the UNC Health Care System and vice chancellor for medical affairs. Previous Public Health Grand Rounds topics have included bioterrorism, asthma, autism, genetics, breast cancer screening, disaster preparedness, West Nile virus, SARS, obesity, urban sprawl, vaccine shortages, tobacco prevention and food safety. Past editions of the program may be viewed at http://www.PublicHealthGrandRounds.unc.edu. Public Health Grand Rounds is a program of the N.C. Institute for Public Health. The institute links UNC’s School of Public Health with those working in public health. It directs numerous training programs and conferences and provides consulting services to local health departments and other health organizations. The institute joins academia and the field in the latest public health initiatives such as genomics, homeland security and community design to combat obesity.
N.C. Institute for Public Health contacts: Bev Holt, (919) 966-6274 or bev_holt@unc.edu and Lisa Morris, (919) 843-9261 or lamorris@email.unc.edu UNC News Services contact: Deb Saine, (919) 962-8415 or deborah_saine@unc.edu For further information please contact Emily Smith by email at emily_smith@unc.edu |
