School systems taking extra precautions against MRSA
From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND - The Allegany County public school system has experienced one reported case of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in a Washington Middle School student.
The student has received treatment with the appropriate antibiotics and is recovering. All principals have received prevention information and school nurses are working closely with school staff on this issue.
Staph or MRSA infections are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people.
MRSA has received considerable attention in the media recently, and the public school system understands that this issue is a concern for parents and communities. The school system and the Allegany County Health Department are employing the appropriate preventive measures to limit the spread of this bacterial skin infection, according to the Superintendent of Schools Office.
All custodial personnel have been alerted to the situation and are working diligently to disinfect cleaning areas, paying particular attention to the athletic departments in each school. It is not necessary for schools to be closed for special cleaning; there is very limited opportunity for transmission in the general school population, according to the superintendent's office.
Parents and students can help by encouraging and practicing proper hygiene. Various personal and institutional hygiene measures are listed on a MRSA fact sheet posted on the school system's Web site, boe.allconet.org. The information will be distributed to teachers throughout the school system as they educate students on being the first line of defense against this bacterial infection.
Although Mineral County (W.Va.) has not experienced any cases of MRSA, the school system and Greg Phillips, director of facilities and maintenance, have sent out information about MRSA, precautions and symptoms.
"We also started doing additional cleaning last year after the outbreak at Allegany High School," said Superintendent of Schools Skip Hackworth.
"Our cleaning products are certified to kill MRSA bacteria."
Garrett County is taking extra precautions as well.
"We've always tried to disinfect our schools as best we could," said Jim Thomas, Garrett County Board of Education director of facilities.
"Because of the high profile and the media around this, we've taken extra precautions and extra care. We've placed an order for hand sanitizers that will be mounted on the walls in the gymnasium areas, weight rooms, in the health rooms, in the cafeterias and office areas."
All the schools will be equipped with hand soap dispensers with antibacterial soap as well.
"We have asked custodians to wipe down all desks more than they had been in the classrooms. We have been taking proactive steps."
The Hampshire County school system was contacted Tuesday afternoon but did not provide information about its experience with MRSA.
Public Health Nurse Judith Cox said that the county's overall population has seen some infections, but not an overwhelming amount - "not any more than we've had in recent years."
