SUPERBUG HITS DAY CARE

- Child reportedly treated for staph infection; state investigating in Abington

GateHouse News Service

ABINGTON - The supergerm cropping up in public schools across the region and the nation has found its way into a local day-care center. Lasting Impressions at 90 North Ave. posted a notice Wednesday that says a child who stays there was treated for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, or MRSA.

‘‘The parent notified me last night,’’ Lasting Impressions owner Kelly Milligan said Wednesday at the center, which provides day-care and preschool programs for 100 children.

The state Department of Early Education and Care reported Wednesday that it is investigating the report, which it received earlier in the day. ‘‘We’re looking into the health-care policy and the management of infectious diseases there,’’ said the department’s spokeswoman, Dina Papanikolaou. ‘‘Although we don’t require notification to us, we do require notification to parents.’’

The person who answered the phone there this morning said the day care center was open. Milligan posted a letter on the door of the center Wednesday to notify parents and said she provided them with a copy of state guidelines for MRSA. MRSA is a bacterial infection commonly acquired in health-care settings. Now, community-acquired MRSA is raging across the country, especially among young people. It was blamed for deaths of youths in Virginia and Brooklyn last month.In Massachusetts, five high schools reported six cases as of last week. The state does not keep MRSA statistics, but U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has called for a nationwide reporting system. ‘‘Unfortunately, without labs and hospitals reporting MRSA infections, we’ll never know where the next case could pop up or if we have things fully under control,’’ he said.

Abington Health Agent Michelle Roberts said Wednesday she is not aware of any other MRSA cases in the town. Another bacterial infection, impetigo, was reported last month in a public school, but Roberts said that situation is under control.

MRSA is a bacterium that can be carried by healthy people, living on their skin or in their noses. Most drug-resistant staph cases are mild skin infections, but severe infections can enter the bloodstream or destroy flesh through open cuts or wounds and become deadly. The bacteria do not respond to penicillin-related antibiotics once commonly used to treat them, but they can be treated with other drugs. Milligan, the Abington day-care operator, said the child who was diagnosed with MRSA has regained health and returned for one day. However, she said she asked that the child not attend on Wednesday. ‘‘I just want to get through today,’’ Milligan said. She declined to identify the child by age or gender but said the tot’s siblings attend the program and have not been affected by the infection. That has not eased the fears of a woman who identified herself as the grandmother of a child who attends Lasting Impressions. She asked that her name not be published. ‘‘We’re all kind of concerned,’’ the woman said Wednesday. She said young children are more likely to put their hands in their mouths and share toys, and therefore would be more likely to spread the bacteria. ‘‘Common sense to me would have been to close the school and say, ’Let’s get it cleaned out.’’’ Milligan said the school has been cleaned and is cleaned every day in accordance with requirements for day-care centers. Since the infection was detected, it has been cleaned in accordance with state health department recommendations, she said. Roberts said she visited the center on Wednesday and was satisfied that all proper cleaning procedures were being followed. ‘‘She had one case; the kid hasn’t been there for over a week,’’ Roberts said. ‘‘He’s been on antibiotics. I’ve been through all the rooms, (Milligan) is doing the right things.’’

Protect yourself
— Keep hands clean by washing with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer, and shower immediately after exercise.
—Cover abrasions or cuts with a clean, dry bandage.
—Avoid sharing personal items that come into contact with bare skin, such as towels or razors.
—Clean frequently touched surfaces.