Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
OT: Kentucky School District to Close 23 Schools |
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MRSA Not Only Pops up in Health Care Facilities
11/01/2007 11:51 PM ET PRINCESS ANNE, Md.- While a strain of the staphylococcus infection known as MRSA has historically popped up in health care facilities, the bacteria is becoming more prevalent in local communities. MRSA, short for methicillin-resistant-staphylococcus-aureus, is a bacterial infection that is highly resistant to antibiotics. University of Maryland Eastern Shore Director of Student Health Sharone Grant said, "The bacteria is what we call community acquired as opposed to being confined to health care facilities where we're accustomed to seeing it." According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all it takes to catch MRSA is having close contact with or touching the same object as an infected patient. That means locker rooms and sports practices are prime spots for the bacteria to spread around if someone has it. Grant said that someone could be anyone. "It doesn't actually have any preference for age gender or anything. It's more opportunistic," Grant said. UMES Freshman Ronald Blake said he is worried about catching an infection because there are so many confined spaces on campus. Blake said, "I don't know anyone who's been infected with it but I have read about it and it sounds pretty scary so I think everyone should be cautious about it." Staff members at UMES have cleaned locker and weight rooms with disinfectant to kill off the bacteria. There are also places like the gyms where students can sanitize their hands with alcohol-based gels. If someone catches MRSA anyway, Grant said there is no reason to panic. "The bacteria are resistant to penicillin, yes. But people should not assume that because it does not respond to that family of drugs, there are no antibiotics. Individuals can be treated with very good outcomes," Grant said. You can recognize an MRSA infection as a pus-filled pocket underneath the skin's surface. Doctors say the sooner the infection is recognized the easier it is to treat it. |
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A death occurred on Monday, October 15, 2007, when 17-year old Ashton Bonds, a student at Staunton River High School in central Virginia, died after MRSA infected areas around his liver, heart, and other muscles and organs. Bedford County Public Schools responded by shutting down all 21 of its schools for cleaning.[14][15] |
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Staph has schools scrubbingBy Christine Wallgren, Globe Correspondent | November 1, 2007 School custodians across the region are stepping up cleaning efforts in their battle to keep buildings well scrubbed, sanitized, and free from an antibiotic-resistant strain of staphylococcus that is showing up in classrooms. Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus - known as MRSA - has been reported in a handful of schools south of Boston, with the most recent case last week. The outbreak prompted administrators to take preventive measures against the potentially dangerous bacterial infection, which is far more common in nursing homes and hospitals. "The key . . . is prevention, practicing some basic hygiene, and good wound care," said Donna Rheaume, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Health. "I can tell you, we have seen an increase in both hospital- and community-acquired MRSA, so we're stressing prevention." While healthy people normally make a full recovery with treatment, MRSA is believed to have been responsible last month for the deaths of a Virginia high school student, Rheaume said. New York state health officials also believe it caused the death of a New York City middle school student last month. The cases reported in south-of-Boston schools have had a more fortunate outcome; all the affected students have recovered. Silver Lake Regional High School in Kingston had two cases reported last month. The first appeared on the arm and back of a boy, according to Superintendent John Tuffy. A school nurse spotted it when the student asked her for a Band-Aid. The second student's case was reported by a parent of a girl who, principal Richard Kelley said, probably contracted it in the summer. Both students are clear of the infection and are back in school, Kelley said. "Fortunately, it is spread by contact rather than being airborne, which helps," Tuffy said. "We've been trading phone calls" with other school districts. "All of us have become more educated about this." Tuffy said the district made calls to parents via its automatic phone system, notifying them of the cases, and sent home a fact sheet on the bacteria. Silver Lake High School students emptied all lockers in the gym area last Friday, and custodians sanitized that area, along with the cafeteria, nurse's office, restrooms, hallways, and some classrooms over the weekend. A student who attends evening school at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School was diagnosed with MRSA last week. The classrooms used for night classes, as well as the locker room and gym equipment, were immediately cleaned and disinfected, according to Marie Fahey, the school district's nurse. Fahey sent a letter notifying all high school parents of the incident and subsequent cleanup. She also advised parents to check the Department of Public Health website (mass.gov/dph) for more information. MRSA infections appear on the skin as pustules or boils, which often are red, swollen, and painful. They most often affect areas of previous cuts or abrasions. Almost all MRSA skin infections can be effectively treated, some with antibiotics and some without. Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School in Easton had a single case of MRSA in a student athlete in September. Principal David Wheeler said it was diagnosed by the student's doctor. Everything at the school was disinfected. "We use standard universal precautions for blood-borne pathogens anyway," Wheeler said. "We're watching what other schools are doing, and if it's a good idea, we grab it." In Wareham, a school official said the high school had received a call from a parent reporting a case of MRSA. The student is back at school, the official said, but has not provided further medical documentation of MRSA infection. Superintendent James Collins is emphatic that the school has no "documented" MRSA cases so far, but precautions are being taken. "The problem with this is it can be anywhere at any time," Collins said. "We have hand sanitizers in all our classrooms. Custodians are washing the doorknobs and handrails with a bleach solution. Normally we don't do this until flu season. Maybe it will cut down on the number of cases of flu we have this year." It is hard to get a definitive case count for area schools, because MRSA incidents are not reportable to state health authorities. According to Rheaume, statistics showed there were 18,000 deaths nationwide related to MRSA infection in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available. In Massachusetts, there were about 2,500 known cases of the virus that year, and 400 to 500 deaths. "Most of those were elderly in long-term care facilities," she said. Hanover Schools Superintendent Kristine Nash said her system has no problems, perhaps because students already practice care. "When you look at how it's spread, a lot of it is about good hygiene, particularly good hand hygiene," Nash said. "We have life-threatening allergies among the students, so we stress hand-washing at a very conscientious level. It's the way we operate, and we've had no problems." Christine Wallgren can be reached at CLWallgren@aol.com. |
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Four siblings diagnosed with MRSA
Published: Nov. 2, 2007 at 9:04 PM NEW YORK, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Four siblings attending a public school in New York have been diagnosed with the potentially dangerous infection known as MRSA. Public School 106 in Far Rockaway was cleaned Wednesday as a precaution, officials said. But they told The New York Daily News there are no indications of a spike in MRSA infections in the city. The four children have not been in school since they were diagnosed. Experts are unsure how they became infected. MRSA -- a staphylococcus infection that is resistant to methicillin and other common antibiotics -- had been mostly a problem in hospitals but has become increasingly common outside. A 12-year-old boy died of MRSA in Brooklyn, N.Y. His mother said a doctor at a clinic gave him an ineffective antibiotic, and that emergency room personnel at Kings County Hospital then misdiagnosed him as having an allergic reaction to the drug. |
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New MRSA cases reported in Marlboro, Howell
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/2/07BY ALESHA WILLIAMS MARLBORO -- Township schools have reported an unconfirmed case of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in a student at the Marlboro Early Learning Center. |
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By KOMO Staff & News Services
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. -- Another student may be infected with MRSA at Port Townsend High School, officials said on Friday.
The second possible case is not yet confirmed. School officials said a student and football player who complained of an itch on his ankle was tested on Friday, but test results are not expected back until Monday. School officials said on Thursday that a football player at Port Townsend High School was diagnosed with MRSA. The senior player had gone to the doctor complaining of a sore on his ankle and tested positive for MRSA. Earlier this week, the King County medical examiner cited MRSA as the cause of death of a man at a Seattle hospital. |
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(PA)
Reported by: Joe Holden Friday, Nov 2, 2007 @10:58pm EST PLAINS TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY- Wilkes-Barre Area School District officials said Friday evening they learned about a potential case of MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant superbug, 24 hours earlier from the parents of a student at Solomon-Plains Educational Complex. We're told a first or second grader is believed to have the staph infection. But Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Namey cautioned it's not a confirmed case and that's reason enough for holding off on alerting the school community. He told WBRE News by phone the student has a boil on the back of the leg. At the same time, the student's father has a confirmed staph infection. School leaders say it's likely to be a positive case, but just want to be sure. In response to the possibility, Solomon-Plains was thoroughly disinfected Thursday evening, a mere precaution according to district leaders. Two weeks ago, a staph infection case was reported at Kistler Elementary in South Wilkes-Barre. The district took swift action and swept the building, from top to bottom, in a cleaning and disinfecting spree. While many believe the nationwide MRSA outbreak is a lot of media-driven hype, the infection has resulted in a handful of student deaths across the country. The school district says it will be sending information home to parents on Monday. |
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Have you considered making a U.S. map with shaded states to illustrate how bad the epidemic is? MC |
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No have not gotten that far. Im looking at the new cases coming from the schools everyday.
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PrepGirl
Admin Group Joined: May 31 2007 Status: Offline Points: 1629 |
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BabyGirl are there any in Massachusetts that you know of?
Im curious cause I heard of one in Gloucester Massachusetts but never read it online anyplace. One of my online friends told me that in Gloucester a student was sent home with MRSA> PRepGirl |
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Reports of local MRSA cases raise questions
Published: Hernando superintendant Wayne Alexander confirmed that the infected child is a student at Deltona Elementary School. He said the child is a special education student who was kept separate from other students, so there is little risk that any other children would have been exposed. However, the news came as a surprise to school officials, as it was completely unrelated to a different suspected case of MRSA that prompted a precautionary weekend “sanitizing” of the school after the student became ill. “We haven’t received any confirmation from the other student that we suspected had it,” Alexander said. “We’re fortunate. There’s only one case that we’re aware of.” MRSA — a potentially deadly illness that gained national media attention after a student in Virginia died from it last month — is spread through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. The infection is common in places such as hospitals and schools, and students in contact sports such as wrestling are considered to be particularly at risk. Cases have been reported at schools throughout Florida. And unbeknownst to most parents, this is not the first time. Spring Hill resident Brian Moore said his 9-year-old grandson was hospitalized for MRSA in November 2006 while in fourth grade at Spring Hill’s Westside Elementary School. Moore, who is the Socialist Party’s presidential candidate, said he believes his grandson became infected with MRSA from a school toilet seat, and said his doctor mentioned that at least two other children in Hernando County were being treated for the illness at the same time. However, when Moore called the school to report it, he said school officials had not even heard of the illness. “I thought they’d send a letter home or something of that nature, and nothing was ever said or done,” he said. “School district should have some mechanism to follow up on those things and investigate.” But a parent notifying the school is not enough, Alexander said. He said the district cannot treat any illness as a confirmed case until it comes from Florida’s Department of Public Health, which the child’s doctor must have notified. Only then would the school officials take action as far as extra cleaning. However, by state law, MRSA is not designated as a “reportable” illness — or a disease considered to be of great public health importance — meaning that physicians do not have a legal obligation to report it. Staph infections, including MRSA, typically start as small red bumps that resemble pimples. However, the bumps can burrow deep into other parts of the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections. The school district sent home letters to parents of all Hernando County students on Wednesday, educating parents about appropriate precautions to take to avoid exposure to the illness. But some parents, such as Spring Hill resident Cathy Vredeveld, whose children attend J.D. Floyd Elementary and Central High, said they never got the letter. “I did not receive any letter home, and no one else in my neighborhood did, either,” she said. “That doesn’t sit well with me.” Other parents said the letter was not specific enough, and did not give parents enough information about symptoms. “The letter wasn’t (enough),” said Brooksville resident Dale Howie, whose three children attend Brooksville and Chocachatti Elementary Schools. “I think that parents should be told details so that we can make decisions to best protect our kids,” he added. “I think we need more information.” But Roger Sanderson, a field epidemiologist for the Department of Health, said the early-stage symptoms of MRSA are so indistinguishable that people should not waste their time attempting to diagnose a typical rash or scrape. “You can’t tell by looking at it if it’s (anything other than) a paper cut,” he said. “If you notice something, just treat it like a minor infection. If it doesn’t get better or gets bigger, go to your doctor.” While Sanderson agreed that MRSA is a concerning matter, he said it is actually more common that people think, and encouraged parents to put the illness in context. “There are thousands upon thousands of people with MRSA in the state of Florida at any given time,” he said. “Very few of them get a bad infection and die.” Sanderson said the best protection against it is simply employing practices such as frequent hand washing, as well as making sure areas where sports contact occurs — like school locker rooms and wrestling mats — are cleaned thoroughly. “I want people to wash their hands and keep clean schools, but do I think they need to be disinfecting the whole school? No,” he said. “Unless that infection is leaking out somewhere, a (infected student) is probably are not much of a risk.” Alexander said there will be no changes in policy and that officials will not be performing another intensive cleaning of Deltona. “We’re going to continue to maintain and do what we always do,” he said. “Keep our schools clean, train our staff, supervise and make sure people use good policies and procedures.” This includes using standard precautionary guidelines of complying with universal precautions, which means cleaning up any body fluid — be it saliva, urine or blood — using the appropriate solvents for blood-borne pathogens, and treating everyone as if they have an infectious disease. District officials have also said they will be providing extra training for teachers most likely to come in contact with bodily fluid, such as school athletic directors. “We’ll be making sure (our staff) knows how to clean, what to clean, what to use to clean with — the whole process,” Alexander said.
Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com. |
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MRSA Confirmed In NYU Freshman; School Says Students Not At Risk
POSTED: 5:23 pm EDT November 3, 2007
UPDATED: 5:33 pm EDT November 3, 2007
NEW YORK -- A freshman living in a dormitory at New York University has tested positive for the staph infection known as MRSA, but school officials say there is no danger to the student body at large.
School officials say the student has been treated at the hospital and is recovering.
The Associate Vice President for student health at NYU, Henry Chung, sent a memo to students saying the freshman lived in an NYU residence hall.
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By KOMO Staff & News Services
YELM, Wash. -- Another possible case of MRSA, the contagious staph infection that has already claimed one life in Western Washington this week, has surfaced in the area.
A student at Prairie Elementary School has been tested for the infection and is awaiting results, according to a message from the principal posted on the school district's Web site. School officials have already begun sanitizing the campus as a precaution, the message read. The Yelm student, whose name and condition are not known, is the second unconfirmed case of MRSA to surface this week. On Friday, school officials at Port Townsend High School announced a student and football player had been tested for the infection after complaining of an itch on his ankle. Test results are not expected back until Monday, officials said. Another teen at the same high school was diagnosed with what's become known as "the superbug" on Thursday. School officials said the senior football player, who had gone to the doctor complaining of a sore on his ankle and tested positive for the infection. Doctors said the teen is responding to antibiotics and said it is unlikely that he passed on the superbug to anyone else. Regardless, school officials in Port Townsend said the campus will be sanitized. The gym, locker room and weight room are being thoroughly sanitized this weekend. All football equipment are also getting a heavy cleaning. John F. Jones, 46, of Federal Way died from MRSA at Harborview Medical Center on Wednesday. It is not known where he contracted the disease. MRSA, short for "methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus" is resistant to standard antibiotics and therefore difficult to treat. Physical symptoms of the illness include lesions, boils and red bumps on the skin that may resemble a spider bite. Anyone with any questions about a possible symptom should contact a physician immediately. MRSA thrives in a warm salty environment. Frequent hand washing and regular hygiene measures serve are cited to be effective prevention methods. Earlier this week senators proposed the formation of a single agency that deals with infections that occur outside hospital. |
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IMHO It is odd we have not heard the word epidemic said much concerning this. Isn't it rather obvious? And so many states and this is just what is being reported. As I posted today.. in Virginia until two weeks ago MRSA wasn't even being reported.
I suspect, and this is very subjective, were you to map this you would find more than half of the states already have a new strain which is a lot nastier than what we have lived with for decades and born and bred in hospital, gyms, and prisons. Have learned a rather simple truth here. When people start dying from something, and it happens in more than 12 states, then we just begin to even respond to the threat. MRSA is a great template to gauge what will be the Avian response to a Pandemic. A lot of lessons to be learned here. The biggest is when something is spreading rampantly all over the country is not the time to begin to deal with it. These super bugs have been the cause of a majority of hospital deaths for years and what has been the effort to stop this before it jumped in the the general population and caused a lot of grief. Anyway, better to light one candle than curse the darkness. There must be more serious efforts made to stop the spread of this and be sure that washing your hands still kills it. It is obvious that most of our best first line antibiotics don't. Some disturbing facts coming out of U.K. http://www.4ni.co.uk/nationalnews.asp?id=37552 Dr Mark Enright, from the University of Bath, also said that better hospital hygiene would not be enough to prevent the spread of the infection. In an article published in this month's edition of 'Microbiology Today', Dr Enright, an expert on the evolution and epidemiology of MRSA, said that the increase of infections in the UK coincided with the appearance of two clones, called UK Epidemic MRSA clone-15 and clone-16. These clones, Dr Enright said, were uncommon elsewhere in the world, and this could explain why MRSA infections had increased in Britain. Dr Enright said that these clones were more contagious than other strains of the infection and claimed that the only way to stop the epidemic was by using proven measures, such as patient isolation. Dr Enright said that there was little scientific evidence to prove that there were less MRSA infections in clean hospitals. He said: "Better hand hygiene will have some effect, but only a radical measure, such as isolating all patients with particularly transmissible MRSA strains, would really solve the problem." MRSA mainly causes invasive disease following infection of tissues around devices placed in the body, such as venous catheters. Drugs that suppress patients' immune systems, such as those taken by kidney transplant patients, may also enable MRSA to take hold, Dr Enright said. However, he admitted: "we simply don't know how MRSA comes into a hospital, colonises staff and patients and then causes serious disease." Figures published in July 2004 showed that MRSA infections in England had increased by 3.6% in the last year. Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Paul Burstow said that Dr Enright's research showed that the government needed to make infection control "a top priority". He said: "There is a shortage of isolation facilities in the NHS. Despite repeated questioning, Ministers haven't got a clue how many isolation facilities there are, let alone what plans there are to add more. Simply promoting hand washing is clearly not enough. More screening and isolation, when necessary, should all be considered as weapons in the fight against the superbugs." In November, Health Secretary, John Reid announced plans to reduce the number of MRSA infections by half by 2008. Recent government initiatives to try to stop the spread of the infection include the installation of alcohol rubs at every staff patient contact point; the launch of the Matron's Charter; and the appointment of Chief Nursing Officer, Chris Beasley, to oversee cleanliness and hygiene in hospitals. As part of these initiatives, over one million NHS employees will receive additional training in infection control measures. posted by Medclinician |
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MRSA suspected at Carlisle school (PA) By Heather Stauffer, Sentinel Reporter, November 1, 2007 Last updated: Thursday, November 1, 2007 9:53 AM EDT Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus — also known as MRSA n may have made an appearance in the Carlisle Area School District.
“We have a suspected case,” said Assistant Superintendant John Friend Wednesday. “We just wanted to let parents know.” Officials first learned that the student might have been infected at the end of last week, but decided to see if they could get confirmation before taking public action, Friend said. A letter urging parents and guardians to make sure students are taking the necessary precautions against the infection went out Tuesday, he said. Although Friend would not identify the student or school in question, citing privacy concerns, he did say that the affected area of the student’s skin has always been covered with bandages and that the student remains in school, has been treated with antibiotics. “We don’t know if it was ever contagious,” he said, noting that the letter assures parents that the district is taking all recommended precautions to prevent the spread of the bacteria to other students and staff. Because the case is only suspected, the district wanted to avoid the turmoil reported at other districts where the infection has been confirmed, he said. For more information on MRSA, readers may visit the Pennsylvania Department of Health at www.health.state.pa.us. |
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Hi MedC
My general feeling is the percentage cases in schools is on the rapid rise whereas in the past this percentage was relatively low. It is "out" of the hospital and Im not sure anyone knows what to do about this. These schools may become a breeding ground for this mutated potent form of the disease. I always appreciate your insights.
BG
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A Second School District Dealing With MRSAKOTV - 11/3/2007 9:09 PM - Updated 11/3/2007 11:01 PM
Two school districts are dealing with what can be a deadly staph infection. During the past week, Union Public Schools informed parents that a Union Intermediate High School student had contracted a MRSA infection. Owasso Public School officials also confirm one case in their district. Both school districts are in the process of sanitizing class and locker rooms to try to prevent further infections when students return to classes on Monday. The ways to prevent MRSA include:
To learn more about Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, including prevention, click here. Related Stories: 10/4/2007 Doctors Warn About Dangerous Staph Infection 10/17/2007 Concerns About Drug-Resistant Staph Bacteria 11/02/2007 Student Dealing With Superbug |
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Students at three WCPS schools had MRSA
Published November 4, 2007
Monroe, Georgia
“There have been four cases confirmed by culture of MRSA reported in WCPS this school year,” said WCPS spokesperson Kim Embry in a release. “All four cases have been treated. One case was reported at Carver Middle School, two cases were reported at Loganville Middle School and one case was reported at Walker Park Elementary School.” “WCPS has a team of professionals meeting to be sure that we have the most up-to-date information concerning procedures and protocols for protecting the health of our students and staff,” Embry said. “We have been consulting with the Walton County Health Department and reviewing CDC literature to make certain that our system is responding to this issue correctly.” But some parents are concerned the school system has known about the cases for several weeks and have not yet notified parents or taken extra steps to disinfect or clean the schools. “I notified the school in September about my son’s case,” said the mother of one of the LMS students diagnosed with MRSA, who did not wish to be identified. “I also contacted the school board but nobody got back to me and no notification was sent out.” Letters were sent home with students Thursday. “WCPS has prepared an informational letter for parents concerning this issue which is being sent home this week,” Embry said. “We have also put links to information on MRSA on our Web site, www.waltoncountyschools.org. It is important that parents become informed about this issue so that they understand what responses by both the school system and the family are appropriate for MRSA.” Parents said they want to see the schools properly cleaned to prevent cross infection, even closed down to do so if necessary. A school system in Kentucky with one diagnosed case closed down the entire school system of 23 schools Monday to clean with bleach, something local parents feel WCPS should consider if necessary. There has been talk of picketing in front of LMS if additional steps aren’t taken to clean the school. However, national news media are beginning to back off the hype since there is criticism now being leveled at them for making more of the situation than it really is. MRSA hit the headlines when a student in Virginia died as a result of a MRSA infection and has stayed in the headlines since then. The family of the student has now filed a lawsuit asking for $25 million in compensation from the city, state and education authorities. According to Lewis Kudon, district epidemiologist at the Northeast Georgia Health District, under which Walton County falls, the law does not require authorities to be advised of cases of MRSA in schools. However, Taka Wiley, of the state Department of Human Resources Health Division, said serious cases of MRSA are required to be reported. WCPS officials are concerned there has been a lot of unwarranted hype and want to assure parents this year isn’t really any different from previous years in the number of MRSA cases reported. According to the Georgia Division of Public Health, MRSA has now emerged as a serious threat in the community. It has a warning on the Web site alerting the public to the threat. “Until recently, MRSA was seen almost exclusively in hospitalized patients. Because we are now seeing it in the community, especially in pockets such as groups of athletes, children in childcare settings and crowding situations such as prisons and jails, the Georgia Division of Public Health is working to educate the public to prevent this threatening infection,” the alert reads. There has, however, been research by the CDC indicating methamphetamine users are five times more likely to have an infection progress to MRSA and it was likely that would filter into the general population in increased numbers. Anybody with concerns can go to site www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools/#q7. |
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MRSA diagnosis shutters Owosso HighBy GARY WEBSTER, Argus-Press Education Editor Email this story | Print this story
Saturday, November 3, 2007 8:57 PM EDT OWOSSO - An unidentified Owosso High School student has been diagnosed with the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterium - known as staph - that has touched several Michigan educational facilities in recent weeks, forcing the district to close the high school.
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“MRSA infection,” according to a Web site maintained by Mayo Clinic personnel, “is caused by ... bacteria often called staph (which) are generally harmless unless they enter the body through a cut or other wound, and even then they often cause only minor skin problems in healthy people. But in older adults and people who are ill or have weakened immune systems, ordinary staph infections can cause serious illness called ... MRSA, which may cause a serious form of pneumonia and can be fatal.” It was also noted that the MRSA strain of staph has, in some cases, proven resistant to certain individuals by all but the most powerful of treatment drugs. |
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Confirmed case of MRSA shuts down preschoolStory Published: Nov 4, 2007 at 12:28 PM PST Story Updated: Nov 4, 2007 at 12:28 PM PST By KOMO Staff & News ServicePORT TOWNSEND, Wash. -- Another person has been diagnosed with MRSA, a drug-resistant and potentially deadly staph infection, at a second school in the Port Townsend School District.
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More Diagnosed With MRSA(Tulsa, OK)
KOTV - 11/4/2007 4:27 PM - Updated 11/4/2007 7:47 PM
For the second time in the past week, a student in Green Country has been diagnosed with MRSA, the drug-resistant staph infection. The News On 6’s Chris Wright reports officials say the student who has contracted MRSA attends Owasso High School. A Union Intermediate High School student was also diagnosed with it on Friday. Also, a woman who battled the bug and survived says at least all the attention will force people to take precautions.. On Friday, parents in the Union school district were notified that a student had contracted it. Officials there say they have already begun cleaning classrooms and locker rooms the student may have used. And this weekend, a second new case was reported in Owasso. On Saturday, officials at Owasso High School confirmed that one of their students is also suffering from MRSA, and is being treated for the infection. Officials say the best way to avoid the superbug is to wash your hands as often as possible. Watch the video: Another Case Of MRSA Found Related Stories: 10/4/2007 Doctors Warn About Dangerous Staph Infection 10/17/2007 Concerns About Drug-Resistant Staph Bacteria 11/02/2007 Student Dealing With Superbug 11/03/2007 A Second School District Dealing With MRSA |
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Published November 3, 2007
Nixa schools report staph cases Dangerous strain of infection found; precautions taken. Kathleen O'Dell News-Leader Health experts renewed their warnings about good hygiene after Nixa school officials on Friday confirmed two cases of a potentially dangerous staph infection in the junior and senior high schools. Neither case was related or serious — both were caught early. But their occurrence among two unrelated students serve as a reminder that the strain of staph called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is active in the community, said Dr. Brian Mahaffey. The director of St. John's Sports Medicine also works with Missouri State University and area public school athletic trainers. |
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Drug-resistant staph at local schools Infected students have all recovered By Robert Bridges, Editorrobert.bridges@gaflnews.com |
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Nov 4, 2007 8:15 am US/Pacific
Student At Yuba City School Has 'Superbug'CBS13.com's 'Superbug' Section: What You Need To Know About Staph Infection(AP) YUBA CITY CA, A Yuba City elementary school is the latest to announce that a student has an antibiotic-resistant infection. |
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New Superbug Cases In Local Schools
By First Coast News Staff COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL -- Two more local schools have confirmed cases of the superbug staph infection. School officials say two students in Columbia County have been diagnosed with MRSA -- one at Fort White Elementary, and another at Westside Elementary. Both buildings are being disinfected. It's the latest case to come up on the First Coast. Someone linked to Rutledge Pearson Elementary, on the Northside of Jacksonville, fell sick with the bug earlier this week. And teams had to disinfect Fishweir Elementary in Avondale days earlier when a second grader developed ORSA, a similar infection that resists antibiotics. Doctors emphasize that basic hygiene is the key to protecting yourself. Wash your hands and don't share personal products like towels. Created: 11/2/2007 6:29:29 PM
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Second serious staph case reported in district (Plano,TX) The student with the infection is a secondary student, meaning he or she attends Carroll Middle School, Dawson Middle School, Carroll High School or Carroll Senior High School. The student is still attending classes and has the infection covered, said Julie Thannum, district spokesperson. No MRSA staph infections or common staph infections have been found at the elementary or middle school level, Thannum said. |
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13 Polk County Students Diagnosed with MRSA Staph Infections
POLK COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5) – There have been more confirmed cases of staph infections, this time in Polk County. The school system confirmed Thursday that 13 students have been diagnosed with MRSA. Click on video for more information. FOX 5's Patty Pan reports
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Staph Infection Hits Rider H.S.Staph infections hits close to home in Wichita Falls. Channel Six News can confirm that a Rider High Assistant Football coach is receiving treatment for the infection. He was admitted to Kell West Thursday and had invasive surgery Thursday and Friday. The coaches mother says he's not in great shape, but is healing. This is the coaches' second bout with staph. He contracted the infection about three years ago while playing arena football. A Rider player also had the infection. Wichita Falls I.S.D. Superintendent Dr. Dawson Orr says over the past few weeks athletic trainers from all of the schools have gone through extensive training on treating and detecting staph infection. The Health Department also has done a walk through at all four junior high schools. Dr. Orr says the district has hired additional custodial staff to help disinfect the schools. The school district will have a meeting Monday morning at 8:30 at the Education Center to discuss the staph infection issue. Story Created: Nov 4, 2007 at 9:49 PM CST Story Updated: Nov 5, 2007 at 2:29 AM CST |
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Lowndes County Student Being Treated for MRSA Staph Infection
Tallahassee, FL
Officials say it is the first confirmed case of the M.R.S.A Staph infection to hit a Lowndes County student in recent memory.
School officials say a Lake Park Elementary School student has contracted M.R.S.A, but officials say they don't know where the child contracted the infection. School Superintendent Dr. Steve Smith says the student is doing fine. Officials say the student went to school on Friday and after visiting the School's Nurse, the child went home. The child's physician later notified the School that the student had the M.R.S.A Staph infection. |
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DEVELOPING STORY: 11 Reported MRSA Cases In Local SchoolsKOTV - 11/5/2007 2:41 PM - Updated 11/5/2007 5:31 PM
There are now 11 reported cases of MRSA in Green Country schools. On Monday, Tulsa Public Schools said two students and two teachers were diagnosed with the superbug. School officials say three schools, Jones Elementary, Skelly Elementary and Edison High School are impacted by the drug resistant staph infection. A student at Jones and one at Skelly have both contracted MRSA, TPS officials said. A teacher at Skelly Elementary and a teacher at Edison Preparatory School have also been diagnosed with the superbug. Tulsa Public School officials say in addition to the four confirmed cases, they have two unconfirmed cases at Lindbergh Elementary School. TPS says a letter is being sent home with students with information about the staph infection. To prevent the spread of the infection, Tulsa school officials say they have sanitized class and locker room areas of all the schools involved. Tulsa Public Schools is not the only district dealing with MRSA. Union, Owasso and Muskogee have reported cases of the infection. On Friday, Union confirmed that an Intermediate High School student was diagnosed with the superbug. Union schools officials say they have cleaned several classrooms and a locker room area where the student might have had class, and school nurses are also on the lookout for more cases. In Muskogee, Superintendent Mike Garde says they have had at lest five confirmed cases of MRSA. Three have been reported from different elementary sites, and two cases were reported at the 7th and 8th grade center. None of the students affected have been allowed to return to school yet, and Superintendent Mike Garde says that doctors are confident they can treat these cases with current anti-biotic treatments. Garde says the schools affected have been deploying cleaning crews to disinfect all surfaces to prevent any type of reinfection. In Owasso, school authorities announced a high school student was recently treated for the staph infection. The News On 6’s Chris Wright reports there is also a second student at Owasso with an infection. Administrators say it is not a confirmed case of MRSA, but that student has been sent home. Meanwhile, the district is taking precautions to make sure no more students come down with the super-bug. The doors to Owasso High School were wiped down Monday afternoon, and the hallways were kept clean. Administrators are focusing their sterilization efforts on high traffic areas, but say the attention paid to cleanliness in nothing new. "Quite frankly, most of these practices are the norm,” Owasso Principal Sam Herriman said. “We seldom go a day, we don't go a day, without cleaning our tables, our floors, our custodial class works real hard to make sure things are clean." One change Owasso High School is making is distributing bottles of anti-bacterial cleaning solution, which like textbooks and pencils, the sanitizer will now become a staple of Owasso classrooms. Administrators say these precautions are necessary after a student was recently diagnosed with MRSA, the potentially fatal staph infection. "I would say we're in a high alert status as far as dealing with this issue," said Dr. Clark Ogelivie, Owasso Superintendent. Superintendent Clark Ogelvie says the district is also paying extra attention to all the rooms both students had class in, and those classrooms have been thoroughly disinfected. He says parents have no need to worry, and he is confident the superbug will not be back. "I want to make it clear, our student's safety is our number one priority, and I hope our parents know that our schools are safe, we're taking every step I know of to make them as safe as possible," Ogelivie said. The student with the confirmed case of MRSA has been treated, received a medical release and has returned to class. Owasso is also making regular announcements on its PA system encouraging students to wash their hands. About 20% of people have staph bacteria, about 1% of those cases will mutate into the drug-resistant MRSA variety. Like with all germs, the best prevention is basic hygiene. The ways to prevent MRSA include:
Staph infections, including MRSA, usually start as small red bumps that resemble pimples, boils or spider bites. The bumps can quickly turn into painful, deep abscesses that need surgical draining. The bacteria can also burrow deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves and lungs. Here are some warning signs to look for to determine if a wound needs medical attention:
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NYC Firefighters Treated For MRSA Reporting NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Tamsen Fadal City health officials have tried to do what they can to calm fears after a 12-year old Brooklyn middle school student died last month after being diagnosed with the staph infection known as MRSA. But this morning, the antibiotic-resistant infection has now turned up among two of New York's Bravest.
According to fire officials, seven firefighters have been diagnosed with the illness, five fire employees have been treated and are already back at work, the other two are being treated at this time. In the case of the young boy who died recently, his mother is accusing Kings County Hospital of negligence and carelessness because an emergency room doctor failed to diagnose her son an instead gave him over the counter medication and sent him home. He died two days later. All seven firefighters work at different fire houses and all are expected to be okay. The word from fire officials is that they are not alarmed by the recent cases, but they are reminding firefighters not to share towels or razors and to keep the firehouses clean so as not to spread the infection any further. |
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MRSA closes West Platte schoolWest Platte R-II school in Weston will be closed Tuesday after a case of MRSA in an elementary student was reported Monday. West Platte Superintendent Kyle Stephenson said crews would clean the school and that classes would resume Wednesday. The school serves about 675 students from kindergarten through high school, all in the same complex. “We’re just trying to be careful and prudent,” Stephenson said. |
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A second case of MRSA has been confirmed in the Duval County school district, this time at a high school.
And while school officials at Fletcher High aren't saying if it was a teacher or student that was infected, they are telling moms and dads not to panic. Still, some parents of Fletcher students are worried about the confirmed case of MRSA at the school. “It worries everybody,” says parent Mark Franzoni. “But it's not the school’s fault.” |
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VALDOSTA GA, Local school health officials are increasing efforts to educate students and staff members on the prevention of Staph Infection, following the MRSA (Methhicillin-Resistant Staphyloccus Aereus) diagnosis of one local Elementary School student. According to Lowndes County Schools Public Relations Manger, Heather Bonner, a Lake Park Elementary student was diagnosed with having the MRSA Staph Infection strain, which in recent months, has drawn national concern as it is thought to be related to the death of a high school student in Virginia. |
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Two Clarkstown (NY) students, one at Felix Festa, one at Albertus Magnus diagnosed with MRSA
(Original publication: November 6, 2007)
CLARKSTOWN - Two separate cases of the drug-resistant staph infection known as MRSA have been diagnosed in students in Rockland, school and health officials said today. One student attends Felix Festa Middle School in West Nyack. The other goes to Albertus Magnus High School in Bardonia.
Rockland Commissioner of Health Dr. Joan Facelle said she was informed of the Felix Festa case today and the Albertus Magnus case yesterday. |
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Port Chester (NY) private school student healthy after MRSA diagnosis
(Original publication: November 6, 2007)
An Our Lady of Victory Academy student with a confirmed case of the antibiotic-resistant strain of staph, MRSA, has already returned to school with a clean bill of health, Sister Joan Agro, principal, said yesterday.
Her parents notified the school of the positive test to what looked like an infected insect bite, Agro said. A letter went out on Oct. 31 to let the all-girls high school community know of the diagnosis and advise on sanitizing precautions the school was taking. |
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'Superbug' Case Found At Plainfield High SchoolSchool Supercleaned During Pre-Scheduled Days OffSomeone at a high school in Plainfield has contracted the staphylococcus "superbug," prompting a supercleaning of that school and all other district schools.The person at Plainfield North High School reportedly contracted the MRSA infection away from the institution. A school announcement did not specify whether the person was a student or a faculty or staff member. The infected person was sent home immediately, and will be barred from the school until doctors confirm the highly communicable disease has been dealt with properly, school officials said. |
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By First Coast News
NEPTUNE BEACH, FL -- There is another confirmed case of the Superbug on the First Coast. Our news partner The Florida Times-Union is reporting a confirmed case of MRSA at Fletcher High School at Neptune Beach. |
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8 more MRSA cases tallied By NORA FROESCHLE World Staff Writer 11/7/2007 But health officials say most aren't serious.Eight more cases of the staph infection MRSA have been reported by area schools, including Tulsa and Broken Arrow, but health officials say the kind showing up in schools is most often a skin infection that responds well to treatment. Two additional cases of MRSA -- or methicillin-resistant Staphlycoccus aureus -- were reported Tuesday in Tulsa Public Schools, bringing the district's total number of confirmed cases to eight, said Tami Marler, director of public information for the district. The students whose illnesses were reported Tuesday attend Edison Preparatory School and Columbus Elementary School. Keith Isbell, a spokesman for Broken Arrow Public Schools, said six cases have been confirmed in that district. Two students at Broken Arrow High School, two at South Intermediate High School, one at Centennial Middle School and one at Lynn Wood Elementary School have MRSA skin infections, he said. A widely reported statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests a nearly 20 percent fatality rate in serious MRSA infec- tions, but the cases
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being reported by area schools are being called mild. The reported local cases are not thought by health-care experts to be serious if treated. |
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Students at Albertus Magnus, Felix Festa recovering from MRSA
(Original publication: November 7, 2007)
CLARKSTOWN - Two cases of the drug-resistant staph infection known as MRSA have been diagnosed in students in Rockland County, school and health officials said yesterday.
One student attends Felix Festa Middle School in West Nyack. The other goes to Albertus Magnus High School in Bardonia. Dr. Joan Facelle, Rockland County's commissioner of health, said she was informed of the Felix Festa case yesterday and the Albertus Magnus case Monday. "Both schools are responding appropriately," she said. In both cases, the students are recovering and were not seriously ill, she said. Clarkstown Superintendent of Schools Margaret Keller-Cogan said the affected Felix Festa student would be in school today. The district disinfected all of the classrooms yesterday that the student typically visited during the day. The school bus that the student rides, Keller-Cogan said, was also disinfected. The process, she said, was made easier by the fact that Felix Festa students had the day off because of elections and staff conferences. "We were able to do, during the school day, what we normally would have had to wait until after school to do," she said. The Clarkstown school district notified parents and staff of the MRSA case yesterday evening through automated voice-mail messages, e-mails and a letter posted to the district's Web site. Keller-Cogan said Felix Festa parents would also receive a letter in the mail today. Parents of students who attend Albertus Magnus received a letter in the mail yesterday informing them that a child at the high school had the illness. That school also was closed yesterday. Principal Joseph Troy told teachers not to come in, either, while the school was thoroughly disinfected. "We're not even sure that the student picked it up here," Troy said. He said the child's parents informed the school yesterday that tests done on the girl showed that she had the methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus bacteria. |
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