MRSA cases appear in local schools

Times-News Staff Writers
October 31, 2007

Four cases of MRSA have been confirmed in a Henderson County school and in two Transylvania County schools, officials said Wednesday.

Transylvania County school officials notified parents and the media in an e-mail that three cases of MRSA had been confirmed at two schools.

"There has been a lot of information released over the media in the last several weeks regarding staph infections, in particular MRSA or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus," Transylvania County Director of Community Schools Dian Brewton said.

Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, is a common bacteria -- so common that 25 to 30 percent of people have it living on our skin at any one time. Brewton said there has been one confirmed case of MRSA at Pisgah Forest Elementary and two confirmed cases at Brevard High School. All the students are currently being treated.

Brewton said the three students were just diagnosed with MRSA on Wednesday.

"As far as we know, these students were not athletes," Brewton said. "We don't know of even any contact among the two students at Brevard High School."

Brewton said she did not feel that these cases were all that serious. "In part, between new media coverage and the school sending out information, it has made parents more aware of the need to do something with an infection early on," Brewton said. "As a result of this, we have students with infections that are being diagnosed early and getting the help they need."

A principal reported one confirmed case of MRSA in a Henderson County school, Superintendent Stephen Page said.

Page declined to name the school, saying he didn't want the child singled out.

"Once you do that, the kids in the school find out 'Oh, somebody in our school has this,' and they do things that are just not very thoughtful," Page said. "You can't identify who these people are, they have their rights. This isn't anything that the Health Department requires reports on, and it's not something that is tracked by the Centers for Disease Control."

The child was reportedly responding to antibiotics.

"The child is in school and doesn't pose a threat to anyone and is not involved in any athletic programs or anything that would create a risk factor," Page said.

"The school system is following the recommendations of the local Department of Public Health," Brewton said. "The most important thing we can do to prevent staph infections is to wash our hands thoroughly and often. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for a minimum of 15 seconds. If water is not available, you can use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. It is best not to use the personal items of others."