Staph News » Staph Legal Matters

West Virginia Man Sues after Contracting MRSA During Hospitalization

Staph News Editor — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:49:23 +0000

The superbug known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is at the center of a medical malpractice suit filed against Charleston Area Medical Center in southern West Virginia on November 14, 2007. The lawsuit filed in Kanawha Circuit Court alleges that the facility’s negligence and carelessness caused Gerald George of Dunbar, West Virginia to contract a MRSA infection that caused injury, disfigurement, and a shortened life expectancy.

George was diagnosed with MRSA on September 23, 2005 following coronary artery bypass surgery performed at Charleston Area Medical Center on September 6, 2005. The malpractice lawsuit claims that MRSA bacteria were introduced into George’s body via an indwelling line, resulting in a lengthy hospital stay, temporary and permanent injuries, and ongoing medical expenses.

Kelly George, the wife of Gerald George, is also a plaintiff in the suit. She is seeking compensatory damages due to the “irreparable loss of comfort, society, convenience and consortium from her husband, ” the West Virginia Record reported.

Illinois School Bans Relatives of Boy Infected with MRSA

Staph News Editor — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 04:06:58 +0000

A Chicago area elementary school has banned three children from attending school because a 13-year-old member of their family is infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, MSNBC reported. The children show no signs of infection, but school officials fear they might be contagious.

After the infected boy, Pheron, and his mother appeared on television two weeks ago to discuss his MRSA infection, school officials insisted that his sister and two cousins could no longer attend school. Pheron’s mother, Linda King Cowser, said the school expressed concerns that the other children in the family had been exposed to the infectious bacteria. School officials are requiring notes clearing each of the children before they will be allowed back at school.

MRSA is a virulent staph infection that has parents and school administrators around the nation worried after it caused the deaths of four children in the United States last month. Although MRSA can be spread by skin-to-skin contact, the Centers for Disease Control guidelines do not recommend keeping the family members of infected patients home from school.

Pheron’s mother has consulted an attorney who intends to ask a judge to allow the children to return to school immediately. The school did not respond to NBC’s request for comment.

Iona College Football Player Nearly Loses Leg to MRSA Infection

Staph News Editor — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:44:33 +0000

An antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection is being blamed for destroying the career of an up-and-coming Iona College football player. Nicholas Zaffarese, 21, contracted the superbug known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the fall of 2005, two years before the highly publicized outbreak that hit Iona College this fall.

Zaffarese, a former defensive lineman for Iona, is seeking unspecified damages from the the New Rochelle, New York college in a suit filed in Westchester County Supreme Court on Monday.

Zaffarese nearly lost his leg during his long recovery from a severe MRSA infection that started with an ingrown hair. Team trainers and coaches dismissed his concerns, Zaffarese told The New York Post, and he eventually required seven surgeries to save his leg. He cites unclean sports equipment and mats shared by all of the players as the cause of the debilitating staph infection that compromised his agility.

Iona College has not released a statement regarding Zaffarese’s allegations and lawsuit.