In June 2010 the National Athletic Trainers’ Association unveiled guidelines to prevent MRSA skin infections at its annual conference.

A study of high school athletes in Nebraska found that the incidence of MRSA infections rose markedly between the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Nebraska Department of Health Community Services.

Among wrestlers, the incidence tripled, going from 19.6 per 10,000 students to 60.1. Among football players in the Nebraska study, published last year in the Journal of School Nursing, the incidence rose five times, from 5 per 10,000 players to 25 in 10,000.

Guidelines:

• Discouraging the sharing of towels, gear, water bottles, hair clippers, and razors.
• Daily disinfection or laundering of sports equipment and clothing.
• Frequent hand-washing and showering.
• Encouraging athletes to check skin daily and report suspicious sores.

Skin infections account for 56 percent of infectious diseases incurred in competitive athletics, according to a study to appear in July in the Journal of Athletic Training.

Medizone International, Inc. (Dually Traded: OTCBB/OTCQB: MZEI)

(http://medizoneint.com)

Medizone International, Inc. is a research and development company engaged in developing its AsepticSure™ System to decontaminate and sterilize hospitals, sports training facilities, schools and other critical infrastructure. A government variant is being developed for bio-terrorism counter measures. Successful decontamination by AsepticSure™ to the 6 log standard or greater has been demonstrated with C.difficile, E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginous, MRSA, VRE and Bacillius subtilis.

Medizone International, Inc.
Post Office Box 742
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Telephone: 415-868-0300
Fax: 415-868-2344

This release contains certain forward looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of ongoing clinical studies, economic conditions, product and technology development, production efficiencies, product demand, competitive products, competitive environment, successful testing and government regulatory issues. Additional risks are identified in the company’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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10 May 2010

WASHINGTON, May 10 — The Health Forum issued the following news release:

Responding to concerns about imposing a “severe burden” on hospitals, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services May 7, 2010,  notified hospitals that it has reversed course and no longer is requiring them to submit to the Buccaneer Data Systems Clinical Data Abstraction Center data that theypreviously reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Methicillian-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

MRSA is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in patients. CMS’ Office of Clinical Standards and Quality withdrew its April 29 requirement for the data, which it said was intended to help estimate the accuracy of MRSA data reported to CDC and to assess the “accuracy of medical record-abstracted information at a hospital level, relative to national rates collected in other initiatives.”

In its May 7 letter, the agency said it is dropping the requirement to send the data, after listening to hospitals and “national and state association feedback about the severe burden to hospitals.” CMS said hospitals that submit the data voluntarily will be reimbursed for their costs.

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that results from this request, and kindly request that your hospital continue to work collaboratively with your [Quality Improvement Organization] partner in improving MRSA rates and overall patient safety,” CMS said. “We appreciate CMS’ responsiveness to the concerns raised,” said Nancy Foster, AHA vice president for quality and patient safety. “We are glad that CMS’ decision will allow those participating in this project to stay focused on that very important goal.”

Medizone International, Inc. (Dually Traded: OTCBB/OTCQB: MZEI)
(http://medizoneint.com)

Medizone International, Inc. is a research and development company engaged in developing its AsepticSure™ System to decontaminate and sterilize hospitals, sports training facilities, schools and other critical infrastructure. A government variant is being developed for bio-terrorism counter measures. Successful decontamination by AsepticSure™ to the 6 log standard or greater has been demonstrated with C.difficile, E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginous, MRSA, VRE and Bacillius subtilis.

Medizone International, Inc.
Post Office Box 742
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Telephone: 415-868-0300
Fax: 415-868-2344

This release contains certain forward looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of ongoing clinical studies, economic conditions, product and technology development, production efficiencies, product demand, competitive products, competitive environment, successful testing and government regulatory issues. Additional risks are identified in the company’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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A surge in drug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter, a dangerous type of bacteria that is becoming increasingly common in U.S. hospitals, has been reported In a study published in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. These infections attack patients in hospital intensive care units while also plaguing soldiers returning home from the Iraqi war. They often appear as severe pneumonias or bloodstream infections, and require strong drugs to be treated, when they can be stopped at all.

Using data from hospitals around the country, researchers at Extending the Cure- a project of the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Resources for the Future - analyzed trends in resistance to imipenem, an antibiotic often reserved as a last-line treatment The study found that in recent years, there has been a more than 300% increase in the proportion of Acinetobacter cases resistant to the drug.

“The findings are troubling because they suggest this bacteria is becoming resistant to nearly everything in our arsenal,” notes principal investigator Ramanan Laxminarayan. ‘There is a lot of attention on MRSA [methiállin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus], but less on infections caused by bacteria like Acinetobacter, for which there are fewer drugs in the development pipeline. While all drug resistance is of concern, it is particularly worrying in the case of bugs for which we have few treatment options.”

Using data from hospitals around the country, researchers at Extending the Cure- a project of the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Resources for the Future – analyzed trends in resistance to imipenem, an antibiotic often reserved as a last-line treatment The study found that in recent years, there has been a more than 300% increase in the proportion of Acinetobacter cases resistant to the drug.

Medizone International, Inc. (Dually Traded: OTCBB/OTCQB: MZEI)
(http://medizoneint.com)

Medizone International, Inc. is a research and development company engaged in developing its AsepticSure™ System to decontaminate and sterilize hospitals, sports training facilities, schools and other critical infrastructure. A government variant is being developed for bio-terrorism counter measures. Successful decontamination by AsepticSure™ to the 6 log standard or greater has been demonstrated with C.difficile, E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginous, MRSA, VRE and Bacillius subtilis.

Medizone International, Inc.
Post Office Box 742
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Telephone: 415-868-0300
Fax: 415-868-2344

This release contains certain forward looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of ongoing clinical studies, economic conditions, product and technology development, production efficiencies, product demand, competitive products, competitive environment, successful testing and government regulatory issues. Additional risks are identified in the company’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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THE NUMBER of MRSA bloodstream infections reported by hospitals is going down but other types of potentially fatal infections are increasing.

Dr Robert Cunney, who is a specialist with the national Health Protection Surveillance Centre, said while the number of reported MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) bloodstream infections had dropped to 355 last year from 439 the year before, the number of cases of MSSA (methicillin susceptible staphylococcus aureus) had increased from 864 in 2008 to 954 in 2009.

He said it was not really clear why this was happening, but it may be that one type of bacteria is taking the place of the other as part of some sort of evolution.

While MRSA was associated with higher mortality than MSSA, there was still “a significant risk of death associated with MSSA”.

Cases of the hospital superbug VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci) were also increasing in Ireland, he said, adding that Ireland now has one of the highest rates of this infection in Europe.

There is no reliable data on deaths from MRSA in Ireland, the report adds. About 25,000 people pick up infections in Irish hospitals each year, and those who do are seven times more likely to die, the report says

Medizone International, Inc. (Dually Traded: OTCBB/OTCQB: MZEI)
(http://medizoneint.com)

Medizone International, Inc. is a research and development company engaged in developing its AsepticSure™ System to decontaminate and sterilize hospitals, sports training facilities, schools and other critical infrastructure. A government variant is being developed for bio-terrorism counter measures. Successful decontamination by AsepticSure™ to the 6 log standard or greater has been demonstrated with C.difficile, E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginous, MRSA, VRE and Bacillius subtilis.

Medizone International, Inc.
Post Office Box 742
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Telephone: 415-868-0300
Fax: 415-868-2344

This release contains certain forward looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of ongoing clinical studies, economic conditions, product and technology development, production efficiencies, product demand, competitive products, competitive environment, successful testing and government regulatory issues. Additional risks are identified in the company’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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“We found that 72 (6%) of 1,674 PICU patients were colonized with MRSA.

MRSA-colonized patients were more likely to be younger (median age 3 years vs. 5 years; p = 0.02) and African American (p <0.001) and to have been hospitalized within 12 months (p <0.001) than were noncolonized patients.

MRSA isolates from 66 (92%) colonized patients were fingerprinted; 40 (61%) were genotypically Community Acquired -MRSA strains.

Community Acquired – MRSA strains were isolated from 50% of patients who became colonized with MRSA and caused the only hospital-acquired MRSA catheter-associated bloodstream infection in the cohort.

Epidemic Community Acquired – MRSA strains are becoming endemic to Pediatric ICUs, can be transmitted to hospitalized children, and can cause invasive hospital-acquired infections,” wrote A.M. Milstone and colleagues, Johns Hopkins University, Medical Department.

The researchers concluded: “Further appraisal of MRSA control is needed.”

Milstone and colleagues published their study in Emerging Infectious Diseases (Community-associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2010;16(4):647-655).

According to recent research from the United States, “Virulent community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus-aureus (CA-MRSA) strains have spread rapidly in the United States. To characterize the degree to which CA-MRSA strains are imported into and transmitted in pediatric intensive care units (PICU), we performed a retrospective study of children admitted to The Johns Hopkins Hospital PICU, March 1, 2007 May 31, 2008.”

For additional information, contact A.M. Milstone, Johns Hopkins University, School Medical, Dept. of Pediatrics Infectious Disease, 200 N Wolfe St., Rubenstein 3141, Baltimore, MD 21287, US

Medizone International, Inc. (Dually Traded: OTCBB/OTCQB: MZEI)
(http://medizoneint.com)

Medizone International, Inc. is a research and development company engaged in developing its AsepticSure™ System to decontaminate and sterilize hospitals, sports training facilities, schools and other critical infrastructure. A government variant is being developed for bio-terrorism counter measures. Successful decontamination by AsepticSure™ to the 6 log standard or greater has been demonstrated with C.difficile, E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginous, MRSA, VRE and Bacillius subtilis.

Medizone International, Inc.
Post Office Box 742
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Telephone: 415-868-0300
Fax: 415-868-2344

This release contains certain forward looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of ongoing clinical studies, economic conditions, product and technology development, production efficiencies, product demand, competitive products, competitive environment, successful testing and government regulatory issues. Additional risks are identified in the company’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Medizone International, Inc. (OTCBB and OTCQB: MZEI) (http://medizoneint.com)

The health reform law has an aspect focused on reducing  medical errors in hospitals which includes hospital acquired infections by doing two things:

1.  Making Medical Errors Public

2.  Creating pay incentives for safer hospitals.

A million Americans are harmed each year as a result of their medical care — not their underlying condition — and an estimated 100,000 die.

In addition to that number: 100,000 people die each year from hospital- acquired infections.

The law allocates $75 million annually toward improving the measures used to evaluate quality and safety.

Reducing re-admissions in care for heart attacks, pneumonia and preventing infections — will be rewarded with higher payments.

Medicare patients make up about half of all hospital visits.  Historically, private insurers and other public health programs change their policies to conform to Medicare policies.

When Medicare stopped paying for catheter-related urinary tract infections — forcing the hospital to bear the cost on their own — many hospitals implemented system-wide practices to prevent infections. Techniques included better tracking of patients with catheters and automatic messages to remind doctors to remove catheters because the longer the device is in place, the greater the chance for infection.

In 2014, Medicare’s Hospital Compare Web site will publish individual hospital errors rates for about a dozen avoidable conditions — the same list of conditions that Medicare stopped paying for in 2008. The public reporting will only include Medicare patients.

Incentives

Rewards hospitals for improving care: Beginning in 2012, hospitals that meet or exceed performance standards in conditions including stroke care, heart attack outcomes and infections will receive higher Medicare payments.

Penalizes hospitals for readmissions: Hospitals with high readmission rates for treatment of heart failure, pneumonia and a few other conditions will receive reduced Medicare payments in 2012. In 2014, it will be expanded to other conditions. Each hospital’s track record will be published.

Withholds payment for medical injuries: Medicare already restricts payment to hospital for extra care required to treat Medicare patients harmed by certain medical errors and this law expands this policy to Medicaid, the public health program geared for the poor and disabled.

Penalizes hospitals with high error rates: In 2014, Medicare will cut pay by 1 percent to hospitals with the highest rates of medical harm.

Requires public reporting of medical injuries: In 2014, the Medicare web site Hospital Compare will post each hospital’s record for certain medical errors and hospital-acquired infections. This limited reporting will cover only Medicare patients with certain conditions for which the hospital was not paid.

Requires insurers to demand better care: By 2012, insurers must have contracts with medical providers that include actions to reduce readmission, improve safety and use best practices.

Emphasizes effective practices: The law creates a Patient- Centered Outcomes Research Institute run by a private foundation that will find the most effective drugs, medical devices and procedures.

Establishes a patient safety center: The Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety will research and disseminate information about improving the quality and safety of health care, with an initial focus on preventing infections and reducing readmissions.

Requires reporting of gifts given to doctors: In 2013, device and drug manufacturers must begin reporting details about gifts and payments over $10 to doctors and teaching hospitals. The information will be published on a searchable Web site.

Improves quality measures: The law allocates $75 million annually toward improving the measures used to evaluate quality and safety.

Source: Consumers Union

Medizone International, Inc., is a research and development company engaged in developing its AsepticSure™ System to decontaminate and sterilize hospitals, sports training facilities, schools and other critical infrastructure. A government variant is being developed for bio-terrorism counter measures.  Successful decontamination by AsepticSure™ to the 6 log standard or greater has been demonstrated with C.difficile, E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginous, MRSA, VRE and Bacillius subtilis.

Contact: Medizone International, Inc. (OTCBB: MZEI)
http://www.medizoneint.com

Telephone: 415-868-0300
Fax: 415-868-2344
Address:
Post Office Box 742
Stinson Beach, CA 94970

This release contains certain forward looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of ongoing clinical studies, economic conditions, product and technology development, production efficiencies, product demand, competitive products, competitive environment, successful testing and government regulatory issues. Additional risks are identified in the company’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Medizone International, Inc. (OTCBB and OTCQB: MZEI) (http://medizoneint.com)

This story from the Vicksburg Post, was heartbreaking.  A young fifteen year old football player in great health was struck down by MRSA.

I found a wonderful YouTube video about MRSA which addresses athletic programs in addition to hospital acquired infections.  I think this is a matter we should all understand and address.

VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) – A so-called “superbug” infection that destroyed throat and lung tissue killed a 15-year-old Vicksburg boy last summer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC issued a certified report March 31 about Wesley Husband’s death, Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said Friday.

Husband had been sick for about a week. Relatives took him to a doctor, to an emergency room and to a walk-in clinic where he died Aug. 27.

The CDC said Husband’s death was caused by the drug-resistant staph infection called MRSA, for “methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.”

It’s a bug that mostly causes skin infections, but can be life-threatening in the bloodstream, lungs or organs. The CDC said Husband’s infection was “necrotizing,” the scientific term for “destroying flesh.”

Wesley Husband was a freshman and football player at Warren Central High School. He had complained for days about not feeling well, his grandfather Wesley Brown said after the teen’s death.

On his way to the Street Clinic, Wesley told his aunt he could not see, was too weak to walk and felt as if he was going to faint.

He died in a small waiting room as clinic workers tried to treat him for apparent internal bleeding.

Reached Friday, Wesley’s father, Wesley Evans, said the family was happy to finally know what happened.

——

Information from: The Vicksburg Post, http://www.vicksburgpost.com

Medizone International, Inc. is a research and development company engaged in developing its AsepticSure™ System to decontaminate and sterilize hospitals, sports training facilities, schools and other critical infrastructure. A government variant is being developed for bio-terrorism counter measures. Successful decontamination by AsepticSure™ to the 6 log standard or greater has been demonstrated with C.difficile, E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginous, MRSA, VRE and Bacillius subtilis.

Medizone International, Inc.
Post Office Box 742
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Telephone: 415-868-0300
Fax: 415-868-2344

This release contains certain forward looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of ongoing clinical studies, economic conditions, product and technology development, production efficiencies, product demand, competitive products, competitive environment, successful testing and government regulatory issues. Additional risks are identified in the company’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Medizone International, Inc. (Dually Traded: OTCBB/OTCQB: MZEI)
(http://medizoneint.com)

In the last month National Public Radio has looked at Hospital Acquired Infections on two different occasions.  This subject is gaining tremendous media attention.  On April 16, 2010, NPR: Talk of the Nation/Science Friday presented:  Bacterial Infections Defy Treatment.

( http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=5&prgDate=04-16-2010 )

MRSA and C. diff. were the topic and the program discussed how hospital-acquired infection have moved into the community in general including prisons and athletic facilities.

I would invite you to listen to this most informative discussion between three of the most knowledgeable experts in the field.

The radio program included:

Stuart Levy who is a professor of molecular biology, microbiology and medicine at Tufts University. He’s also the president of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics and the author of “The Antibiotics Paradox: How the Misuse of Antibiotics Destroys Their Curative Powers”

Maryn McKenna who is the author of “Superbug: The Fatal Menace of MRSA.” She’s also a contributing writer at the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

Brad Spellberg who is an assistant professor of medicine at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Center. That’s at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He’s also the author of “Rising Plague: The Global Threat from Deadly Bacteria and Our Dwindling Arsenal to Fight Them.”

They discussed bacteria that are resistant to every FDA-approved antibiotic.

I think one of the most enlightening segments is the explanation why there are really no drugs on the horizon to treat this issue.

Medizone International, Inc. is a research and development company engaged in developing its AsepticSure™ System to decontaminate and sterilize hospitals, sports training facilities, schools and other critical infrastructure. A government variant is being developed for bio-terrorism counter measures. Successful decontamination by AsepticSure™ to the 6 log standard or greater has been demonstrated with C.difficile, E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginous, MRSA, VRE and Bacillius subtilis.

Medizone International, Inc.
Post Office Box 742
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Telephone: 415-868-0300
Fax: 415-868-2344

This release contains certain forward looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of ongoing clinical studies, economic conditions, product and technology development, production efficiencies, product demand, competitive products, competitive environment, successful testing and government regulatory issues. Additional risks are identified in the company’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Medizone International, Inc. (OTCBB and OTCQB: MZEI) (http://medizoneint.com)

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2002), 1.7 million patients per year in the US acquire an infection during a hospital stay resulting in 99,000 (5.8%) deaths.  When looking for information on international numbers I found a very recent report (April 5, 2010) which looks at these numbers.

A recent report by ReportLinker on the Drug and Medication industry which focuses on Antibiotics and Drug Resistance notes the following:

Recent figures from the US indicate that costs associated with these infections in the US at $6.7 billion and are around $1.7 billion in the UK.

This report estimates that hospital-acquired infections in the developed world costs more than $32.5 billion, higher than current global sales on antibiotics.

Others estimate that outpatient costs due to antibiotic resistance in the US lie between $400 million and $18.6 billion and inpatient costs several times higher.

It is estimated in this report that hospital-acquired infection levels in the developed world could be higher than 7 million and deaths could exceed 400,000.

China

Given the rapid rise of bacterial resistance in China, with a population of 1.3 billion (where resistance levels are reported to be growing faster than in any other country) and in Asia as a whole (total population 3.7 billion), these figures are likely to be significantly higher.

Medizone International, Inc. is a research and development company engaged in developing its AsepticSure™ System to decontaminate and sterilize hospitals, sports training facilities, schools and other critical infrastructure. A government variant is being developed for bio-terrorism counter measures. Successful decontamination by AsepticSure™ to the 6 log standard or greater has been demonstrated with C.difficile, E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginous, MRSA, VRE and Bacillius subtilis.

Medizone International, Inc.
Post Office Box 742
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Telephone: 415-868-0300
Fax: 415-868-2344

This release contains certain forward looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of ongoing clinical studies, economic conditions, product and technology development, production efficiencies, product demand, competitive products, competitive environment, successful testing and government regulatory issues. Additional risks are identified in the company’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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AsepticSure™ treats C-difficile which is turning up more and more in nursing homes due to the close quarters, easy transference and age of patient.

People most vulnerable to a C difficile are those who:

Have been treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Have had to stay for a long time in a hospital or nursing home. Are over 65 years old. Have a serious underlying illness or condition. Have a weakened immune system. Have had numerous enemas or gut surgery.

C difficile is extremely contagious and is spread very easily. It can lead to symptoms such as diarrhea and fever and is usually caused by antibiotics.

Most people make a full recovery but in a minority of cases the infection can be fatal. In Britain the 75-84 year age group had the highest number of cases.

It is estimated that C difficile recurs after treatment in 20-30% of cases.

When a patient has the infection the advice is to stop taking the antibiotics which caused it if possible. This is aimed at allowing natural ‘good’ bacteria to re-grow in the gut and if the infection is mild to moderate this may be enough.

For those suffering a more severe infection however, it is necessary to take another antibiotic to kill off the C difficile. In rare and serious cases, surgery may be needed to repair damage to the intestines, especially if there are tears in the small intestine.

Contact: Medizone International, Inc. (OTCBB: MZEI)
http://www.medizoneint.com

Telephone: 415-868-0300
Fax: 415-868-2344
Address:
Post Office Box 742
Stinson Beach, CA 94970

Medizone International, Inc., is a research and development company engaged in developing its AsepticSure™ System to decontaminate and sterilize hospitals, sports training facilities, schools and other critical infrastructure. A government variant is being developed for bio-terrorism counter measures.  Successful decontamination by AsepticSure™ to the 6 log standard or greater has been demonstrated with C.difficile, E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginous, MRSA, VRE and Bacillius subtilis.

This release contains certain forward looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the results of ongoing clinical studies, economic conditions, product and technology development, production efficiencies, product demand, competitive products, competitive environment, successful testing and government regulatory issues. Additional risks are identified in the company’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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