With MRSA, the “Super-Bug,” making headlines in recent months, employers are beginning to take action to keep their workers safe. Cases of these antibiotic-resistant staph infections are occurring more frequently than previously believed, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Although resources for preventing the spread of MRSA in healthcare settings are readily available, information for general workplaces are much harder to find, reports Health Resources Publishing. Recent data shows that these dangerous infections are commonly found in offices, including on phones, computer keyboards, bathrooms and worksite fitness facilities.

Researchers estimate that there were 94,360 cases of invasive MRSA in the United States in 2005, and 18,650 deaths caused by these infections. More people died in 2005 from MRSA infections in the United States than died from AIDS, according to HRP.

To help employers reduce their risks and prevent the spread of MRSA should it strike their workplace, HRP is hosting “Employer Briefing on ‘Super-Bug’ Staph Infections in the Workplace: The Threat, Ramifications, Risks and Recommendations for Prevention,” a 90-minute audio conference and Webinar. Scheduled for Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. EST, the conference will also cover legal issues facing employers.

Presenters at the event will be Rachel Gorwitz, MD, MPH, medical epidemiologist, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Donald W. Benson, Esq., employment lawyer, Littler Mendelson, P.C.

For more information or to register, visit: http://www.healthresourcesonline.com/edu/mrsa.htm.