Section 690.660  Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin Resistant (MRSA), Occurring In Infants Under 61 Days of Age (Reportable by telephone or facsimile  as soon as possible, within 24 hours)

a)         Control of Case.

1)         Contact Precautions shall be followed.

2)         Investigation of Clusters.

A)        For the purpose of this Section, an MRSA cluster is defined as 2 or more patients associated with a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or newborn nursery with a culture (screening or clinical) positive for MRSA during a 14-day period for whom an epidemiologic link is feasible and a pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) or other typing method result is identical or a PFGE is not yet performed.

B)        If a cluster of MRSA is identified in a NICU or newborn nursery, NICU or newborn nursery personnel who provided care for affected infants should be evaluated for the presence of any acute or chronic skin lesions.  Evaluation for skin lesions among other personnel who provided care for affected infant may be performed based on the determination of the chairperson of the infection control committee.  Laboratory screening of personnel for MRSA in response to a cluster of neonatal MRSA should be performed to corroborate data indicating that one or more individuals are linked to transmission.

b)         Control of Contacts.  Hospital personnel with minor skin lesions, such as pustules, boils, abscesses, conjunctivitis, severe acne, otitis externa, or infected lacerations, shall not work in a newborn nursery.

c)         Laboratory Reporting.  Laboratories shall report to the local health authority all cultures from which MRSA is isolated in infants under 61 days of age.

(Source:  Amended at 32 Ill. Reg. 3777, effective March 3, 2008)