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DISPATCH, a product made by Midland-based Caltech Industries, kills the MRSA bacteria in one minute.

As more cases of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) become news across Michigan, Caltech Industries, is helping fight back by donating pre-moistened surface disinfectant towels to public health departments in Saginaw, Bay and Midland Counties.

The Midland-based manufacturer of surface disinfectant products will deliver hundreds of cases of its DISPATCH® Hospital Cleaner Disinfectant Towels with Bleach to the health departments this week.

The product kills the MRSA bacteria – as well as many other germs – in one minute.

"One of the most important steps to reduce the spread of MRSA is to properly disinfect surfaces," said Cathy Anders, Caltech General Manager. "There's nobody in a better position to help more people do that properly than the county health departments. And DISPATCH is one of the easiest-to-use and most effective products available to do it."

DISPATCH towels can be used for cleaning and disinfecting hard surfaces such as plastic laminate, stainless steel, painted surfaces and glass.

"We're thrilled that Caltech has offered this product to us," said Natasha Coulouris, Saginaw County's Health Officer and SCDPH Director. "We strive to be proactive in preventing outbreaks of infections, and this donation provides additional resources to do so."

Barbara MacGregor, Bay County Health Officer, agrees. "This is a great opportunity for us. We've already made plans to work with local schools, institutions and other community organizations for distribution, so that the bacteria can be killed at the source and prevent outbreaks before they happen. That's hard to do without someone stepping up like this."

"There's a great deal of concern, even hysteria, over MRSA right now," says Michael Krecek, Midland County Director/Health Officer. "While we like people to remain calm, the recent publicity also helps us make people more aware of the steps they need to take to prevent disease. Now, we'll also be able to provide a great tool to help them do it."

Within recent weeks, MRSA outbreaks have been reported in several Michigan cities and have led to the temporary closure of several schools. Cases of MRSA have caused severe infections leading to amputations and occasionally death. An Oct. 17 report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention blamed MRSA for as many as 18,000 U.S. deaths per year.

Caltech was named one of "Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch" by the Edward Lowe Foundation. The awards program honors "second stage" companies – those past the startup stage but not yet "mature" – for their entrepreneurial excellence. The Cassopolis-based foundation recognizes and assists entrepreneurial efforts throughout the country.

Caltech's products include a number of disinfectant products used to clean surfaces and equipment in healthcare settings. DISPATCH, which is a sodium hypochlorite-based solution, has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for a one-minute kill time for MRSA, as well as a number of other bacteria that are common causes of community and hospital-acquired infections.