Link: Participation low at first MRSA forums.
Turnout was far lower than expected Monday at the first of several community forums in the county being held to raise awareness about methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, a staph bacteria that is resistant to many common antibiotics.
‘‘It was probably on the lower end of the spectrum,” said Jessica Ronan, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Hospital Association. She said she expects that attendance at each event will vary. ‘‘Obviously we would want more people rather than less to turn out.”
Monday’s forum, held by Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, was part of a statewide initiative to raise awareness about MRSA, which has been in the spotlight the past six months after it was reported in public schools. Since August, there have been 60 cases of MRSA reported in Montgomery County Public Schools. Merry King, a special education teacher at Hoover Middle School, died of the disease in December.
