FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2007
CONTACTS:
Greta Houlahan
NSF International
Phone: (734) 913-5723
Email: houlahan@nsf.org
Scrub Club Helps Kids Fight MRSA
Website Teaches Children the Importance of Washing their Hands
Ann Arbor, MI - A recent outbreak of methicillin resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) has made proper handwashing and personal hygiene a priority for parents,
teachers and medical professionals alike. NSF International today announced a
resource that can help children fight against MRSA -
www.scrubclub.org.
MRSA is known to cause "staph" infections that are resistant to treatment with
common antibiotics. These dangerous bacteria are transmitted mainly through
human hands. If a person doesn't wash with soap and water, the bacteria can
spread.
The Scrub Club website was developed by NSF International, a non-profit
organization committed to public health and safety, to provide a fun way for
kids to learn proper handwashing techniques to fight harmful infections such as
MRSA. The Scrub Club "soaper-heroes" teach kids the six steps to proper
handwashing:
-
Hot Shot" and "Chill" combine to make the warm water essential for proper
handwashing;
-
"Squeaks" turns into various forms of soap;
-
"Taki" becomes a clock that counts down the required 20 seconds for proper
handwashing;
-
"Scruff" reminds kids to clean around their nails;
-
"Tank" turns into a sink to rinse away the germs; and
-
"P.T." transforms into paper towels.
"By teaching children the importance of proper handwashing with the help of the
Scrub Club, we can make a difference in preventing the spread of MRSA and other
serious infections," said NSF International Vice President William Fisher.
The Scrub Club includes Webisodes, interactive games, music, downloadable
activities for kids, educational materials for teachers and program information
for parents. For more information about the Scrub Club please contact William
Fisher at 734.827.6824 or
fisher@nsf.org.
About NSF International: NSF International, an independent,
not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and
writing standards for food, water and consumer goods (
www.nsf.org).
Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety
worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and
Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits
for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered
through NSF International Strategic Registrations, organic certification
provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF
Center for Public Health Education.