Washington -- U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin (R-WY) introduced legislation today to raise awareness about the rampant spread of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a deadly drug-resistant staph infection currently surfacing across the United States. 

Cubin and Congressman Jim Matheson (D-UT) introduced H.Res. 988, a bill to designate March 2008 as ‘‘MRSA Awareness Month.” Cubin has been a leader in drawing attention to this deadly infection for more than three years. She has spearheaded the fight to combat the rampant spread of infectious diseases that have been plaguing hospitals, schools and community centers around the country.

“The fact is MRSA kills more people in the U.S. each year than does AIDS and infects more people annually than strep infections, bacterial pneumonia and meningitis combined,” Cubin said. “These startling statistics highlight the need to increase awareness about this killer disease and ensure folks across the state of Wyoming have the information they need to avoid contracting this infection.”

As a Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, Cubin has been introducing and championing legislation to combat MRSA and other infectious diseases for the past two congresses. Last year, Cubin joined Congressman and University of Wyoming alum Brian Baird (D-WA) in introducing H.R. 1496, the Beating Infections Through Research and Development Act (BIRD), to develop new drugs to fight drug-resistant diseases.

Cubin recognized that it is no longer profitable for pharmaceutical companies, large and small, to invest in the research and development of new antibiotics to fight these diseases. Lifestyle drugs, or any drug taken frequently over extended periods of time, are simply a safer and more profitable investment than antibiotics, which are prescribed more sparingly and only for days at a time in most cases.

Cubin introduced the BIRD Act to encourage this development with tax credits for product research and development, tax credits for manufacturing, patent extensions and expedited approval by the Food and Drug Administration. With infectious diseases plaguing the country, Cubin plans to push the BIRD Act through Congress this year.

Cubin’s call for attention comes on the heels of numerous MRSA-related deaths and school closures across the country. The life-threatening bacteria has been turning up increasingly not just in hospitals, where the infection most-commonly spreads, but also in small outbreaks among otherwise healthy individuals, such as athletes, prison inmates and schoolchildren.

Individuals across the state of Wyoming can best protect themselves from MRSA simply by practicing good hygiene. Washing your hands frequently is the most effective way to avoid spreading germs. Cubin is encouraging everyone to keep their cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage. It is critical to avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages and not share personal items such as towels or razors.