Letter to the Editor: Government needs to enter fight on MRSA

Recently in the news, at least 10 reputable medical studies have reported that antibiotic overuse in concentrated animal factory farms helps breed Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, the dreaded antibiotic-resistant superbug that causes deadly staph infections.

Reputable medical organizations, such as the Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, have called for a moratorium on building any new concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, in Missouri until the hazards to the health and welfare of Missouri citizens can be resolved and citizen safety can be reasonably assured.

Yet while we hear of ways to treat the symptoms – wash your hands and avoid overcrowding – we hear nothing about safety measures to prevent MRSA in these crowded meat factories. Meanwhile, meat factory workers are potentially exposed to these superbugs, and in turn, can expose the rest of the community.

It is fair to ask: What is the state doing to inspect these meat factories, and stop the breeding of deadly antibiotic-resistant staph germs? Your readers will be disturbed to find out that apparently little, if anything, is being done to protect them from this threat.

—State Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, University City