Video: MRSA cases on the rise

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SEATTLE - There is frightening new information about a deadly bug infecting more and more people here in Washington State. MRSA cases are on the rise, but a Seattle Times investigation claims we may never know how wide-spread the problem is becoming.

The Times article exposes loopholes at hospitals that may hide the real number of MRSA cases in our state.

A spokesperson at Harborview Medial Center tells KING 5 News that MRSA cases at the hospital are at a 10-year low, that they have robust procedures to stop drug resistant infections.

But the head of the Washington State Hospital Association admits the problem is bigger than they ever imagined.

Seattle Times research traces hundreds of Washington deaths back to MRSA, charting the first death from a 1980 outbreak that infected 35 and claimed 13 lives.

But no one, not even Leo Greenawalt, the president of the Washington State Hospital Association, knew the deadly tally from the drug resistant strain of staph infection.

"MRSA isn't listed on death certificate, so there's no way to track it,” he said.

In 2000, there were 815 cases of MRSA. In 2006, numbers had grown to more than 4,600.

Lynette White's daughter, Amber, survived MRSA. They believe she contracted the potentially deadly infection at an area hospital.

"It had spread into the lung already, and she's a severe asthmatic, so it could have killed her," said Lynette.

Amber now lives with the stigma of MRSA. 

"She’s known as a MRSA carrier so she's treated differently, we've been uninvited from family events, because people are afraid of catching it,” said Lynette.

"There's a real mix of what experts say needs to be done," said Greenawalt.

Now Greenawalt works with hospitals to raise awareness of MRSA, and make major changes.

Right now hospitals in our state have no standardized testing, no standardized protocol for finding and fighting MRSA.

"Patients in intensive care, certain patients going into surgery and those with compromised immune systems need to be screen," said Greenawalt.

He promises change, but that could take time - months, even years.

Changes at hospitals could begin as early as Dec. 12, the next board meeting of the Washington State Hospital Association.

Doctors are quick to point out that most people carry some form of staph infection on their skin.  It's harmless unless it enters the body through a cut.