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Lone Wolf 
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 Topic: OT: Kentucky School District to Close 23 Schools
Posted: October 28 2007 at 7:45pm |
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,305677,00.html
Kentucky School District to Close 23 Schools After MRSA Staph Infection Reported
Saturday, October 27, 2007
PIKEVILLE, Ky. — An eastern Kentucky school district with one confirmed case of antibiotic-resistant staph infection plans to shut down all 23 of its schools Monday, affecting about 10,300 students, to disinfect the facilities.
The project will involve disinfecting classrooms, restrooms, cafeterias, hallways, locker rooms, buses and even external areas such as playgrounds and sports fields, said Roger Wagner, superintendent of Pike County schools.
"We're not closing schools because there's been a large number of breakouts, but as a preventive measure," Wagner said.
One Pike County student was diagnosed with in September with MRSA, or "methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus." The bacterial strain can be treated with other antibiotics, but without treatment it can be deadly.
The bacteria was blamed for the death of a 17-year-old Virginia high school senior this month. At least seven students on New York's Long Island were recently diagnosed with MRSA, as were 10 members of an athletic team at Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y. However, a government report has estimated it may sicken more than 90,000 Americans each year
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Two weeks ago, students staged a sit-in at the lunch room of Pike Central High School in effort to get school officials to clean the school as protection against the bacteria.
Most abandoned the sit-in after Principal David Rowe threatened them with a three-day suspension, but 33 stayed and were given the choice of one day of in-school suspension or two days out-of-school suspension. Three chose out-of-school suspension.
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Posted: October 28 2007 at 9:08pm |
Two weeks ago, students staged a sit-in at the lunch room of Pike Central High School in effort to get school officials to clean the school as protection against the bacteria.
It sounds like the students have more common sense than the administrator.
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Posted: October 28 2007 at 9:11pm |
10/26/07
MESA, Ariz. (AP) -- The super staph infection known as MRSA has been reported in the Scottsdale Unified School District in the past month, district officials confirmed.
However, the district says that none of the cases have been serious enough to require hospitalization or keep the infected students home from school, said Tori Trahan, health services coordinator for the district.
Three students at Coronado High School, one at Zuni Elementary School and one at Laguna Elementary School were diagnosed with MRSA, or methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus.
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Posted: October 28 2007 at 9:11pm |
Possible Case of MRSA Staph Infection in Savannah
Friday, Oct 26, 2007 - 09:24 PM
News 3 has learned a student at Savannah Country Day School may have the MRSA Staph Infection. The Chatham County Health Department tells us it was notified Friday about the possible infection and that it has not been confirmed at this time. A parent contacted News 3 Friday and told us she received a letter from the school, saying one student tested positive for the super-strain and test results are pending on another student.
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Posted: October 28 2007 at 9:13pm |
10/26/07
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A middle school student from Brooklyn died Thursday, probably from the staph infection MRSA, according to the New York City Health Department.
The student was in seventh grade at IS-211 in Canarsie.
"The infection was the probable cause," the Heath Department said in a statement. "We have no reason to believe that other children or school employees are at increased risk of staph infection."
At least six students on Long Island have recently been diagnosed with MRSA, according to The Associated Press.
MRSA is short for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and is responsible for more deaths in the United States each year than AIDS, according to new data.
According to the CDC, 25 to 30 percent of the population carry the staph bacteria -- one of the most common causes of infection. While such infections are typically minor, invasive MRSA infections, because they are caused by drug-resistant staph, can become fatal.
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Posted: October 28 2007 at 9:14pm |
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MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (AP) — Public schools in Mount Vernon are being disinfected after a worker and a student showed signs of an antibiotic-resistant staph infection, authorities said.
Schools Superintendent W. L. Tony Sawyer said a high school
employee and a third-grade student are being tested for MRSA,
or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The bacterial strain can be treated with other antibiotics, but without treatment it can be deadly.
Sawyer said the two will stay home from the schools — Edward Williams Elementary and Nelson Mandela Community High — until the test results are known.
Sawyer said that if either tests positive, the school system will redouble its efforts to disinfect. But medical authorities have said the schools will not need to close, he said.
The bacteria was blamed for the death of a 17-year-old Virginia high school senior and a 12-year-old New York City middle school student this month.
At least seven students on New York's Long Island were recently
diagnosed with MRSA, as were 10 members of an athletic team at Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y. However, a government report has estimated it may sicken more than 90,000 Americans each year. |
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Posted: October 28 2007 at 9:17pm |
Schools fighting staph infection
Three students have MRSA, but schools taking precautions
By ANN WALLACE
The Leaf-Chronicle
Clarkesville TN
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By state or federal law they didn't have to, but local school officials disclosed Friday they had discovered three separate cases of MRSA, a serious staph infection called methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus reported across the nation and linked to student deaths.
Three separate MRSA cases were reported at Cumberland Elementary School, New Providence Middle School and Northeast Middle School. |
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Posted: October 28 2007 at 9:18pm |
Newark school sanitized in MRSA case
Sunday, October 28, 2007
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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NEWARK -- An elementary school in the city's North Ward has been sanitized, and parents notified, after a school security guard tested positive for the dangerous staph infection known as MRSA.
The guard's case was reported on Friday, according to a statement from Newark Public Schools that only identified the worker as a security guard at the Roberto Clemente School. |
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Posted: October 28 2007 at 9:19pm |
MRSA Infection hits 4 more in North Jersey
Saturday, October 27, 2007
By MICHAEL GARTLAND and MARY JO LAYTON
STAFF WRITERS
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Four more North Jersey residents have been diagnosed with the same drug-resistant staph infection that is responsible for four student deaths nationwide, health authorities reported Friday.
The infection, known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, has sickened at least 10 North Jersey students in recent weeks, putting three of them in the hospital. Statewide, the New Jersey Department of Education has confirmed about 30 cases among students and teachers.
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Posted: October 28 2007 at 9:39pm |
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Posted: October 29 2007 at 4:12am |
| County schools report more MRSA cases |
| By R. JONATHAN TULEYA |
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Officials from two county school districts recently sent letters to parents confirming students in each school system had been diagnosed with an infection caused by the bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — commonly known as MRSA.
In a letter dated Oct. 22, Coatesville Area School District Superintendent Richard W. Como said a student at King’s Highway School had been diagnosed with MRSA, but he added there was no indication it had been contracted at school.
“The student was seen by their (family) doctor and treated immediately,” Como wrote. “The student returned to school with doctor approval and there was no risk of contagion.”
In a letter addressed to parents of the West Chester Area School District dated Oct. 19, Monica McHale-Small, the district’s student services program director, released similar information about a student at Stetson Middle School.
“There was no open wound and the student has been properly treated,” McHale-Small wrote.
Officials from both districts assured parents the facilities in their districts are routinely cleaned and disinfected by the custodial staffs.
Como said that process takes place biweekly in CASD, paying particular attention to “any areas the (infected) student may have come in contact with.” Also, the district’s wellness and fitness departments will be incorporating lessons and distributing information about “proper hygiene and sanitation.”
In recent weeks, MRSA has forced some Pennsylvania schools to close.
A student at an elementary school in Delaware County’s Rose Tree-Media School District was diagnosed with MRSA and the school was closed so it could be sanitized.
A girl on the soccer team at Chichester High School in Boothwyn also was diagnosed with the bacteria. Chichester High has been sanitized and has reopened.
Chester County Health Director John Maher told the Daily Local News last week he believes Delaware County school officials may have overreacted when they closed their schools. Maher said it likely would have only been necessary to close a particular classroom for cleaning.
Maher said there has been some anxiety among residents due to media reports that he said imply the infection is automatically fatal.
To contact staff writer R. Jonathan Tuleya, send an e-mail to jtuleya@dailylocal.com. |
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Posted: October 29 2007 at 4:16am |
MRSA comes to Maumee
Oct 28, 2007 11:06 AM EDT
TOLEDO -- The scare over the deadly staph infection has reached Maumee.
Gregory Smith, the superintendent of Maumee City Schools is confirming that a Gateway Middle School student was infected with MRSA.
That's the strain resistant to many antibiotics.
The student returned to school this past Thursday.
School leaders spent the last few days disinefecting the building and say the school is safe.
It will be back open tomorrow.
Posted by NCD.
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Posted: October 29 2007 at 4:17am |
Mom: I reported daughter's MRSA Friday, October 26, 2007
By MICHAEL GARTLAND
STAFF WRITER
A 3-year-old Garfield girl is recovering from a dangerous and sometimes fatal bacterial infection, her mother said Thursday.
Crystal Ritter said she does not know how her daughter Kyla came down with the staph infection known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, but is upset that doctors and state health officials did not help her get word out to other parents.
"It was never reported when I called the Health Department," she said, referring to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. "The only way it got reported was I called."
Tom Slater, a Health Department spokesperson, said hospitals are required only to notify the state agency under very specific circumstances.
When it comes to cases of MRSA that are contracted outside of hospitals, doctors must notify the agency if there is an outbreak -- when two or more people in a specific area contract the infection -- but not when it is only one individual.
"Individual cases of MRSA are not reportable. Outbreaks are," Slater said. "We would normally not get involved in a single case."
The MRSA infection has been associated with four deaths among students nationwide in the past two weeks, including a middle school student in Brooklyn on Thursday. The outbreaks have forced schools in a half-dozen states to close.
So far, Kyla Ritter has been able to fight off the infection with the help of medication and surgery. Her mother said she is no longer at Hackensack University Medical Center but is still recovering.
A hospital official would not confirm or deny whether the child was treated there. State officials would not comment on Ritter's case because they said they had no information about it.
Five other North Jersey students have been diagnosed with MRSA over the past month. Two student-athletes from Pascack Valley High School were treated and are now back in class, according to school administrators. A student at Christopher Columbus Middle School in Clifton was treated and released. District officials there would not confirm whether he's back in school. And two students from the Norman A. Bleshman Regional Day School in Paramus were also recently diagnosed with MRSA. The 19-year-old Bleshman student remains hospitalized. The second student was released from the hospital.
Crystal Ritter said that while her daughter was being treated at Hackensack University Medical Center in September, doctors told her the appropriate officials would be notified of her daughter's illness to ensure public safety. But when Ritter called the state Health Department, she said an official there told her the agency was not notified and was not required to provide formal notification to the public.
She said she was worried that other children attending day care at Mount Zion Big Heart Christian Academy in South Hackensack might also be affected, so she called them herself.
In New Jersey, all hospitals are required to create "screen and isolate" programs to fight MRSA. Hospitals have to identify and test all high-risk patients, even if they have no symptoms. Those who have infections are isolated, as well as those who carry the bacteria but have no active infection.
It is unknown how many hospital patients have MRSA because New Jersey's hospitals aren't required to report these cases.
Governor Corzine has said he expects to sign a law requiring hospitals to report the number of cases so consumers can decide which hospitals are safest.
He and Ritter are not the only ones raising concerns about notification.
The family of a 19-year-old student at the Bleshman School in Paramus contends the school took weeks to notify parents with children there.
Officials from the school said the family told them that the student had a staph infection in early October, but were not aware that it was MRSA until the middle of the month.
E-mail: gartland@northjersey.com
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Posted: October 30 2007 at 8:06pm |
Students Sent Home After Report Of Student With MRSA
A Southfield school is closing for the day after a report of student contracting Methiciliin Resistant Staph Aureus or MRSA.
Mary Thompson Middle School students are being sent home for precautionary measures at 11:30 a.m.
Superintendent Dr. Ken Sivers said one student has contracted it.
Crews will be at the school cleaning on Tuesday night.
School is expected to be back in session Wednesday.
Children will be bussed home or parents can pick up their children as soon as possible.
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Posted: October 30 2007 at 8:07pm |
Experts warn of MRSA risk from uncleaned door handles and light switchesBy JENNY HOPE - More by this author » Last updated at 18:42pm on 30th October 2007
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Hospital cleaners are putting patients'lives at risk by failing to pay proper attention to door handles and light switches, a study claims.
NHS policy concentrates on visible dirt found on floors and toilets but "hidden" germs are transmitting infection.
Surfaces in wards that are touched by hand, such as door handles, bed rails, infusion pumps and switches, can all harbour MRSA but are "poorly cleaned.
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Posted: October 30 2007 at 8:08pm |
Three people diagnosed with MRSA at Post Falls Middle, High Schools
Annie Bishop / KXLY4 Reporter
Last updated: Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 06:39:02 PM
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KXLY4 Staff A school custodian disinfects playground equipment at Ramsey Elementary School in North Idaho. |
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COEUR D'ALENE -- There are three new cases of MRSA being reported in North Idaho at Post Falls Middle School and Post Falls High School.
The announcement of new cases of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria comes as the Couer d’Alene School District is working to set the record straight about MRSA at a Tuesday evening forum. The idea behind the meeting Tuesday evening at Lake City High School is to address those concerns and any questions parents may have about MRSA.
Custodians at Ramsey Elementary School spent the weekend and much of Monday cleaning the school to kill the MRSA bacteria after two students and a staff member there were diagnosed with it.
The school did not close its doors because both local and national health agencies said that would be an overreaction as the bacteria causing the infection can be killed with the most basic household cleaners and hand washing helps to keep it from spreading.
“People react, people panic when they don't know information, when they know what they are dealing with can act in a more rational way. Communicating is just of paramount importance,” Cynthia Taggart with the Panhandle Health District said.
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Posted: October 30 2007 at 8:09pm |
Two More MRSA Cases Reported At City Schools
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The Health Department and the Department of Education will not confirm it, but parents and staff at two city schools said Tuesday that one student in each has been diagnosed with MRSA. NY1's Education reporter Michael Meenan filed the following report.
On Monday, the principal at Brooklyn's P.S. 3 sent a letter home to parents informing them a student had come down MRSA last week. On Tuesday, parents met at Manhattan's P.S. 48 to hear the principal explain that one of the school's students had the infection.
City health officials sought to make clear that most MRSA cases, rare as they are, happen in hospitals and that city schools are very safe, a point made by the mayor.
"I don't think it's an epidemic,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “There's certainly no reason to keep your child at home."
Neither city health or school officials would discuss any details about either student reportedly infected last week. The DOE said that attendance at P.S. 3 ad P.S. 48 was normal on Tuesday, above 90 percent. However, some guardians at P.S. 3 in Bedford Stuyvesant said they had serious concerns about sending their kids back to school until they learned more.
"They really need to look into it and give out more information on this problem, because, come on, it's taking our little ones," said babysitter Karen Fleming.
One mother NY1 spoke with she was not convinced everything was being done to protect her child.
"They supposedly said they disinfected the school, but I took my daughter to the doctor today," said P.S. 3 mom, Aisha Butler.
Many parents at P.S. 3 discussed what actions the Department of Education and the city Health Department were taking to assure children’s safety.
The P.S. 3 principal wrote to parents that the school had been scrubbed over the weekend by custodians. However, some parents remained worried, in part, due to the way that the DOE and the DOH were handling what to tell parents.
The DOH says the MRSA bug is transmitted skin to skin, and so it’s more important to clean hands regularly than to scrub school surfaces. The agency also said that no special cleaning team was dispatched to either P.S. 3 or P.S. 48 because, "...this is not necessary, and not recommended, though some principals may do it."
The city says any parent with any concerns about sending their child to school because of MRSA can get more information at 311.
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Posted: October 30 2007 at 8:11pm |
Student at BOCES school in West Nyack is diagnosed with MRSA
(Original publication: October 30, 2007)
WEST NYACK - A student at a school for youngsters with severe physical and emotional disabilities was diagnosed today with the drug-resistant staph infection known as MRSA - the first such case in Rockland, school and health officials said.
The child attends the Jesse J. Kaplan School, which is run by the Rockland Board of Cooperative Educational Services and serves more than 200 students age 5-21 from Rockland, Westchester and Orange counties.
The student, who lives in Orange County, was in school at noon today when officials were told that a culture of the infection had tested positive for the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, or MRSA, BOCES spokeswoman Stephanie Gouss said.
"The student was immediately sent home in an appropriate manner - not on a bus," Gouss said.
The classroom where the student had been was cleaned with a disinfectant, she said.
The rest of the building will be cleaned by school's custodial staff overnight, she said.
Read more about this story tomorrow in The Journal News.
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Posted: October 30 2007 at 8:12pm |
Two New Jersey Officers Have MRSA
Posted: October 30th, 2007 04:00 PM EDT
By MICHAEL GARTLAND, STAFF WRITER
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
Two Bergenfield police officers have been diagnosed with a sometimes fatal, drug-resistant bacterial infection, a borough health official said Monday.
The officers are among more than a dozen North Jersey residents who have contracted methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, in the past month. Statewide, the New Jersey Department of Education has confirmed about 30 cases among students and teachers alone.
Keith Furlong, a spokesman for the borough, would not reveal when the officers were diagnosed or treated for the infection, but said they were treated about two weeks apart from each other. He also would not discuss their conditions.
He did say that county, state and federal health agencies have been notified.
Borough Administrator Catherine Navarro-Steinel said common work areas - such as bathrooms and kitchens - were cleaned and disinfected after they were notified.
"The two employees have already been treated for this infection," she said. "The borough has established a precautionary pre-screening procedure for municipal employees as well as a follow-up screening ... through Hackensack University Medical Center."
Under guidelines set forth by the state Department of Health and Senior Services, the two instances of MRSA within the Police Department do not constitute an "outbreak."
Tom Slater, a spokesman for the state health department, said the agency considers it an outbreak when two people who are not relatives contract the infection in the same facility within a two-week period. Furlong said he did not know where or how each officer contracted MRSA.
A spate of recent MRSA cases has parents worried about their children's safety and health officials concerned that the media have blown the problem out of proportion.
The antibiotic-resistant bacteria, once typically spread in hospitals, has become more prevalent elsewhere. Last week, it was being blamed for the death of a 14-year-old Brooklyn middle school student.
But it has also caused a couple of false alarms. Last week, a reported case at Ramapo College turned out to be something other than MRSA.
Staff Writer Stephanie Akin contributed to this article. E-mail: gartland@northjersey.co
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Posted: October 31 2007 at 2:12pm |
Richmond County BOE Confirms Three Cases Of MRSA
Story Published: Oct 31, 2007 at 12:07 PM EDT
Story Updated: Oct 31, 2007 at 4:45 PM EDT
A letter going out to parents of Richmond County school children says that there are now three confirmed cases of the dangerous antibiotic resistant bacteria MRSA.
The cases were reported at Glenn Hills Middle School, Blythe Elementary School, and the Richmond County Board of Education Administration Building on Broad Street.
The custodial staff is busy disinfecting the affected buildings, following Department of Health guidelines.
All infected students and staff are expected to remain home until they can provide a doctor's note indicating that they may return to school or work.
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Posted: October 31 2007 at 2:14pm |
12 Columbia County Students Confirmed To Have MRSA
Story Published: Oct 30, 2007 at 10:56 AM EDT
Story Updated: Oct 31, 2007 at 12:10 PM EDT
The Columbia County Board of Education has confirmed that 12 students have MRSA, the dangerous antibiotic resistant bacteria.
The school system's medical consultant has advised that these students be excluded from school until their lesions are no longer draining and pose no threat to classmates.
"If we're not diligent in what we're going, it could escalate," Superintendent Charles Nagle said.
But to keep that from happening, custodians at Evans High School are hard at work. They're disinfecting desks and doors, fighting an MRSA outbreak.
"I have a child in this school system and if I was really concerned this was a danger, my child wouldn't be in school and I wouldn't either," Evans High School Principal Don Brigdon said.
Brigdon confirms at least two of his students are infected with the drug resistant staph infection.
"In both cases, the parents brought it to us and had taken the right steps and had taken care of it," Brigdon said.
The school system is also hoping to take care of it before it spreads further.
They're delivering a hand and surface sanitizer to every school in the county.
"We want the public to know that we're doing our part to take this very seriously," Nagle said.
Superintendent Charles Nagle says that also means keeping students with open wounds at home, even if they're bandaged.
"We're not looking at this as a punishment. We're looking at it for the protection of their own child as well as keeping this from escalating," Nagle said.
The 12 confirmed cases were found at these Columbia County schools:
Evans High School
Greenbrier High School
Harlem High School
Lakeside High School
Riverside Middle School
Greenbrier Middle School
Grovetown Middle School
Blue Ridge Elementary School
Grovetown Elementary School
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Posted: October 31 2007 at 5:06pm |
MRSA infection found in 2 Chandler schools
Ray Parker
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 31, 2007 10:04 AM
Chandler Unified School District officials alerted parents this week that one Basha Elementary student and one Perry High employee had been diagnosed with an antibiotic-resistant skin infection: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA.
"Although there has been a heightened awareness about MRSA over the last week, the staph infection has been around for decades and is very treatable when detected early," Perry Principal Dan Serrano and Basha Principal Keith Falconer wrote in the Oct. 30 letter to parents.
The infections are commonly called MRSA and do not respond to treatment with common antibiotics. Typically, the more severe form is contracted by people who stayed in hospitals, long-term-care homes and other medical facilities.In Arizona, 3,802 people have contracted the severe form of MRSA since 2005. State and federal health officials don't track MRSA-related deaths by region.
The research was done by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and released this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In the Chandler letters, the principals wrote that both the student and the employee "have been cleared by a doctor to return to school."
Chandler officials are taking extra precautions, such as using a cleaning agent that kills staph germs in restrooms and cafeterias.
The skin condition can look like an infected pimple or spider bite and can worsen with swelling, redness or discharge. Close skin-to-skin contact, such as that which occurs in contact sports, spreads the bacteria.
School districts are making efforts to educate faculty and students on preventing and detecting MRSA infections.
Good hygiene is the best defense against MRSA and all staph infections.
The Chandler principals suggested the following: wash hands with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer; keep cuts bandaged until healed; avoid contact with other people's wounds; wipe exercise equipment; and avoid sharing personal items such as towels and razors.
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Posted: October 31 2007 at 5:09pm |
Portland Student Diagnosed With MRSA
Portland Is Latest County To Report Infection
POSTED: 6:19 pm CDT October 31, 2007
UPDATED: 6:38 pm CDT October 31, 2007
PORTLAND, Tenn. -- A student in Portland is the latest to contract MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Students were sent home with a letter on Wednesday advising parents that a student at the J.W. Wiseman School had contracted MRSA.
“This is very alarming hitting this close to home. It’s scary in a way you know. As a parent, you have to take care of your kids,” said one parent.
The case for concern is growing. On Tuesday, Channel 4 reported three cases in the Christian County school system. Two have been reported in Montgomery County schools and a 5-year-old Murfreesboro girl is in critical condition at Vanderbilt Medical Center.
J.W. Wiseman is across the street from Portland Medical Center.
The hospital has become proactive by testing for the MRSA infection on patients when they are admitted.
“Only the patients that are at high risk, those that live in group settings,” said hospital nurse Brenda Lea.
Staph lives on everyone, and good hand-washing seems to help prevent it, but nothing is stopping it.
Lea said the infection has grown more powerful over the years.
“It’s not new, it has been around for many years, but it is stronger and more prevalent, I think,” she said.
The J.W. Wiseman school was washed down Tuesday night with bleach to prevent further infection.
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Posted: October 31 2007 at 5:11pm |
Last modified: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 5:11 PM EDT
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| Diane Pottorff/photo Substitute bus driver John Absten wipes down the surfaces of one of the county school buses to help fight the spread of Methicillian Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). Two cases of MRSA were confirmed in local schools last week. |
School personnel continue fight against MRSA
By Diane Pottorff
POINT PLEASANT - To help ease parents' fears about their child coming in contact with the MRSA (Methicillian Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) bacteria, Mason County bus drivers are cleaning and disinfecting their buses.
So when parents assist their children getting on or off the school bus, they will be greeted by the odor of disinfectant.
“Any place that a child comes in contact with, we are cleaning it,” Mark Wright, driver, said.
All drivers have been asked to clean their buses and spray disinfectant on seats, dashboards and other hard surfaces as well as mop the floors with a bleach solution.
“Everyone has to disinfect their buses, and everyone has been working on them,” Laura Bonecutter said.
Bonecutter, along with Brenna Shobe, has been cleaning buses at the bus garage for the past two days for drivers who have other jobs and are not able to clean their buses.
Last week, two cases of MRSA were confirmed in local schools. Since then, all school buildings have been in the process of being cleaned and sanitized.
To further limit the number of students getting the infection, elementary students are being lined up prior to the start of the school day to wash their hands with soap and water. They also are required to wash their hands before and after lunch. Students in the secondary schools are being asked to wash their hands frequently, and the custodial staff members and sports coaches are cleaning locker rooms and sporting equipment. The administration is making sure there is plenty of soap and new soap dispensers as well as alcohol-based hand sanitizer readily available for students and staff to use.
The staph infection is the most common skin infection and can be as minor as a pimple or cold sore. Cures include draining the site and applying an antibiotic. Most people who are vulnerable to staph infections have been hospitalized, have some type of wound or surgery or are in a nursing home. Most staph infection patients are the elderly who have a compromised immune system.
Because the infection is spread skin-to-skin, most patients are athletes who play contact sports such as football and wrestling.
According to information provided by the Mason County Health Department from the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control (CDC), staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria that lives on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. Occasionally, staph can cause infections of the skin, bloodstream, lungs, joints, heart or almost any part of the body.
MRSA (pronounced ‘mursa') is a type of staph that has become resistant to some common antibiotics. This means that an infection with MRSA is more difficult to treat. Staph and MRSA may be found on the skin or in the nose. About 30-50 percent of people can carry the staph bacteria on their skin without getting ill.
Anyone can get an infection of staph, but there are certain people who are more at risk. These include diabetics, people on dialysis, people who use injection drugs, people who recently have had surgery and people with chronic diseases such as cancer. MRSA infections are more likely in people who recently have received antibiotics or been in a hospital or nursing home.
Cases of MRSA in the community are associated with recent antibiotic use, sharing contaminated items, active skin disease and living in crowded settings. Outbreaks have occurred on sports teams, in jails or military units, camps and even hospital wards. Community acquired MRSA infections are usually skin infections; however, severe illness also can occur.
MRSA infections are treatable. The physician will most likely take a specimen of the wound and send it to a lab to determine if it is indeed MRSA. The lab also will test to determine which antibiotic is most suited to treat the MRSA. Some oral antibiotics are appropriate, and sometimes antibiotics given through an IV are necessary. Depending on the extent of the skin infection, surgical intervention may or may not be needed. All this depends on the person's medical history and the extent of the infection.
MRSA and staph can spread among people by close physical contact. Spread also may occur by touching objects such as towels, sheets, clothes, work-out areas and sports equipment contaminated by the skin of a person with MRSA or staph. It can be prevented by washing your hands with soap and water on a regular basis. If soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hand cleaners help until you get to soap and water.
Other ways of preventing the spread of the bacteria is to keep cuts and wounds clean and covered with a dressing until healed. This prevents the infected person from getting an infection in the open wound and prevents the infection from spreading to someone else.
Bandages or tape can be discarded with the regular trash. Avoid sharing towels, clothing, sports equipment, deodorant, cosmetics and other personal items. Wash sheets, towels and clothes that become soiled with water and laundry detergent. Drying clothes in a hot dryer rather than air drying also helps kill bacteria in clothes. Antibiotics should be taken only if a person really needs them, and make sure to take all the antibiotics prescribed by a physician.
Routine cleaning of surfaces and sports equipment with disinfectant helps prevent the spread of MRSA infections. Some people use a 1 to 10 bleach solution to wipe down surfaces that are most commonly touched by people who have not washed their hands or if an open wound has come into contact with a surface. This is a type of cleaning that most people, schools and institutions do on a regular basis. In schools and work places, adequate supplies of soap and water for hand washing is vital in all restrooms.
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Posted: October 31 2007 at 5:12pm |
Two students in Toms River Regional district diagnosed with MRSA
BY LAUREN O. KIDD
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
TOMS RIVER — Two students in the Toms River Regional school district have been diagnosed with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA, district officials announced today.
The students -- one from Toms River High School North and the other from Cedar Grove Elementary School -- are the latest to be diagnosed with the bacterial infection known as the "superbug.'' Several students in Monmouth and Ocean counties have been diagnosed with MRSA during the last few weeks.
The two students were not in school today, but were doing fine and getting ready to go back to school shortly, Assistant Superintendent Michael S. Citta said.
"We have been taking measures in light of what is happening around us. We knew it was a matter of time before one of our students contracted it,'' Citta said. "The best thing that we can do is practice good health measures and get information out.''
Citta said the district has put information about MRSA on its Web site and placed informational packets on the counters of all its schools and nurses' offices. He also said that for years the district has used a cleaning product that kills the MRSA bacteria.
The district reported the two cases to the Ocean County Health Department and the county superintendent of schools, Citta said.
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Posted: October 31 2007 at 5:14pm |
MRSA case confirmed at Deer Park High School
Oct 31, 2007 07:41 PM EDT
DEER PARK, Wash. - Administrators at Deer Park High School announced Wednesday that one of their students has a confirmed case of MRSA.
The student was not in attendance Wednesday, but did attend school Tuesday. The infected area was covered with a dressing from the doctor's office and with clothing.
The school district says it is taking preventative measures, such as disinfecting all "high contact" areas, and reminding students and staff to wash hands frequently and to not share personal items.
A letter and fact sheet were sent home to parents.
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Posted: November 01 2007 at 3:24am |
MRSA case leads to disinfection at Will County circuit clerk's office
November 1, 2007
BY BRIAN STANLEY Herald News
The Will County circuit clerk's office was disinfected after a case of methicillin-resistant Staphlyoccucus aureus, or MRSA, was reported this week.
"The office went through a disinfecting similar to the ones they've been doing at the schools," said Will County Health Department spokesman Vic Reato.
A Joliet grade school was disinfected Monday after a student there was found to have MRSA. Reato said the case in the clerk's office was also discovered Monday.
"They're not required to report individual cases to the health department, so we don't have many details," Reato said.
Personnel at the Will County clerk's office referred all questions about the incident to Reato.
MRSA is a type of staph infection that is resistant to certain antibiotics.
In 2005, MRSA caused more than 94,000 life-threatening infections and nearly 19,000 deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Recently, suspected infections have been reported across the nation.
The bacteria is commonly carried in the nose and on the skin of healthy people. It is typically spread through contact with unwashed hands and personal items.
Sun-Times News Group
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Posted: November 01 2007 at 3:25am |
Statement From NYC Health Department Addressing MRSA Alarm In Schools01 Nov 2007 The recent attention to MRSA has alarmed many NYC parents. The alarm is understandable, and the threat of antibiotic-resistant diseases is real. But the focus on schools is misplaced. The vast majority of serious cases are related to hospitals or other health care settings, such as nursing homes and dialysis centers, and involve patients with many health problems. These are the settings where the effort to prevent, diagnose, and treat MRSA should focus. In otherwise healthy people, MRSA infections usually heal on their own or with simple treatment. Serious complications are extremely rare. The Health Department estimates that in 2006, there were at least 600 laboratory-confirmed MRSA cases in children 5-18 years old in New York City. Though MRSA is resistant to some antibiotics, it can be cured with other common antibiotics if treatment is required. MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a Staph infection. Staph spreads mainly through skin-to-skin contact. Nationally, there have been small clusters of cases associated with school sports teams (e.g., wrestling, football). Neither the City Health Department nor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is aware of instances in which MRSA has spread in schools except among members of sports teams. It is not necessary to keep children out of school to prevent MRSA, and there is no health-based reason to disinfect a school building after a single case is diagnosed with a Staph or MRSA infection. The Health Department and the Department of Education are sending a letter to the school community this week to explain school procedures and describe steps that everyone can take to prevent the spread of infection. The most important ones are: - Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. - Don't share towels and other personal items. - Keep wounds covered. - If you're concerned about a skin infection that isn't getting better, see your doctor. Not all people with MRSA infection are diagnosed, and individual cases pose little risk to the school community. When evidence suggests risk of spread within a school, the Health Department will work with schools to address the issue. If a school nurse receives information from a doctor that a student has MRSA, he or she will contact the health care provider to confirm that culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing were done to confirm the diagnosis. If an MRSA diagnosis has been confirmed, school health staff will assess the child for additional factors that may increase the risk of transmission in school such as participating on an athletic team with an uncovered wound. Earlier this year one school (non-public) did have a cluster of cases of MRSA in a football team. With simple treatment and hygiene measures at the school, as recommended by the Health Department, there have been no additional cases in more than a month. How can Staph and MRSA infections be prevented at school? -- Regular hand-washing is the best way to prevent getting and spreading Staph and MRSA infections. - Ensure access to sinks and adequate supplies of liquid soap and paper towels. - Promote the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, if soap and water are not accessible. -- Discourage sharing of personal items such as towels. -- Those with skin infections should always keep draining lesions covered with clean, dry bandages to prevent direct contact with the wound and allow for proper healing. - Wash hands with soap and warm water after changing bandages or touching infected wounds.
- Wear gloves when caring for another person's wounds and wash hands before and after.
- Dispose of bandages and dressings containing pus and blood carefully so that others do not come into contact with these items. Can students and staff with MRSA attend school? YES, as long as the wound is covered and they are receiving proper treatment. Students and staff do not need to be isolated or sent home in the middle of the day if a suspected Staph or MRSA infection is noticed. Wash the area with soap and water and cover it with a clean, dry bandage. Parents are encouraged to have the wound looked at by a healthcare provider. The wound should be kept covered with a dressing or bandage until it has dried completely. Specific Recommendations for Sports Teams1. Players should not share personal items, such as soap, razors, and especially towels. 2. Players should shower immediately after practice and matches, and dry off with clean towels. Ensure an adequate supply of clean towels for showering at the school; they are a necessary part of personal hygiene for school athletes. 3. Coaches, trainers and the school nurse should remind players to report cuts, abrasions and turf burns immediately practices or games. Skin injuries should be cleaned, and then checked daily until healed. Additionally, players should monitor wounds closely for signs of infection (increased redness, pain, swelling or pus). 4. During games and practices, skin wounds should be covered with a clean, dry bandage. Athletes with draining lesions should not participate in any sport that involves skin-to-skin contact and should not enter pools or saunas. 5. Staff should advise players against body shaving Cleaning and disinfection procedures for sports equipment and facilitiesSchools should routinely use an effective disinfectant to clean all surfaces where there is a high level of skin-to-surface contact, especially the surfaces and floors in bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers. These surfaces should be cleaned daily, and immediately if soiled. Physical education staff should identify equipment that involves more intense multi-student use and is likely to involve sweating, friction and uncovered skin (e.g., weight training equipment). Participants should place a clean towel between themselves and the equipment if possible; ideally, this equipment should be wiped down between each use. http://www.nyc.gov
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Posted: November 01 2007 at 1:35pm |
Elmira, NY 14902
Horseheads school staff member has MRSA Star-Gazette
HORSEHEADS -- A staff member at the Horseheads Intermediate School has been confirmed to have the MRSA infection, methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the school district announced this morning.
It's the Twin Tiers' first confirmed case of the drug-resistant staph infection in an adult.
In a news release, the district said the affected person is undergoing treatment, but it did not say if the person -- not identified as a male or female -- is still working at the school while being treated. The release also did not give the person's position at the school.
That information is being withheld for privacy reasons, a spokeswoman said.
The release said letters from Superintendent Ralph Marino Jr. and school physician Dr. Kenneth Sobel are being sent home with students and being provided to other staff members today. The district said it would post the letters on its Web site, www.horseheadsdistrict.com.
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Posted: November 01 2007 at 2:27pm |
Area schools disinfect to prevent MRSA, quiet worries
By EMILY PREVITI Staff Writer, 609-978-2014
Published: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Attendance at Forked River Elementary School in Lacey Township returned to normal Tuesday after absentee rates doubled in response to an alert that a substitute aide working at the school had been infected with MRSA, a type of staph bacteria.
Superintendent Robert Starodub said the employee notified administrators Friday, prompting a weekend-long cleaning spree. Staff and administrators met to address the situation Monday, when 12 percent of students at Forked River stayed home. The district's phone system notified parents of the case of MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. After consulting with the Ocean County Department of Health and other medical professionals, the district determined that the weekend cleaning left the school safe to attend, Starodub said.
"The key to this, and these kinds of issues, is information," Starodub said. "Anyone could contract MRSA and we're increasing efforts to reduce risk. ... In the end, we'll all be more tuned into this, both from a personal hygiene standpoint and institutional standpoint."
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Posted: November 01 2007 at 3:08pm |
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CUSHNET, Mass. - A Massachusetts elementary school is taking precautions after a student was diagnosed with a drug-resistant staph infection.
NBC 10's Larry Estepa said officials at the Acushnet Elementary School started an aggressive cleaning regimen after a student came down with the skin condition known as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
The child's parent alerted the school.
"This is something we're fully in control of," said school superintendent Stephen Donovan. "We've talked to the Department of Health."
School officials sent a letter home to parents and reminded parents to teach their kids good hygiene.
"We need to take precautions, but that doesn't mean we need to panic," said Dr. Hanumara Chowdri, a Southcoast Hospitals Group specialist.
Chowdri advised parents that if their children come down with an infection, to bring it to the attention of a doctor.
Donovan said the student who was diagnosed with the staph infection has been treated and cleared to come back to school.
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Posted: November 01 2007 at 3:09pm |
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RENTHAM, Mass. - Two Massachusetts communities are taking precautions after public school students were diagnosed with a drug-resistant staph infection.
A cleaning crew was brought in to sanitize the Delaney Elementary School in Wrentham after a second-grader came down with the skin condition known as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
But the town's school superintendent said there was no evidence the girl contracted the disease at school and that it was unlikely to spread to other children.
In Dartmouth, two students, one at the high school and one at a middle school, have confirmed cases of the staph infection.
Officials sent a letter home to parents and told the cleaning staff to pay special attention to common areas of contact, including desktops, cafeteria tables and sports equipment.
"We're doing everything from, if kids have cuts and scrapes, we’re asking them to stop by the nurses' office," said Steve Russell, Dartmouth superintendent of schools. "We're washing down desks with Lysol. We're hitting countertops with Lysol. We're doing extra cleaning in more common areas."
Earlier this year, three high school athletes at Dartmouth contracted the virus.
"Several of our students who caught it early in the fall are since back on the athletic fields and doing fine," Russell said.
Working with state health officials, Russell said that early detection and treatment can make staph infections anything but deadly.
"This isn't something to panic about," he said. "It's just needs good, medical treatment in a timely manner. It is treatable with stronger antibiotics and can be cleared up."
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Posted: November 01 2007 at 3:10pm |
HARTFORD, Conn. -- At least two Connecticut high school students, one in Weston and a second in Newtown, have been diagnosed with a potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant staph infection.
Weston High School officials sent a letter home to parents informing them that one case of the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus infection, or MRSA, has been confirmed at the school. Health officials are waiting for results of tests on another student.
A similar letter was sent to parents of students at Newtown High School. Officials also posted the letter on the school's Web site.
MRSA is a strain of staph bacteria that does not respond to penicillin and related antibiotics but can be treated with other drugs. The infection can be spread by skin-to-skin contact or sharing an item used by an infected person, particularly one with an open wound.
State health officials say about 900 cases are reported to the state Department of Public Health each year and hundreds of others never become serious enough to require reporting.
Staph infections, including the serious MRSA strain, have spread through schools nationwide in recent weeks, according to health and education officials. A student in Virginia died from a similar infection earlier this week.
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Posted: November 01 2007 at 3:11pm |
Cumberland Valley student has MRSA (PA)
By Jason Scott, Sentinel Reporter, October 31, 2007
Last updated: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 10:05 AM EDT
Cumberland Valley school officials confirmed Tuesday that a student at the high school has been diagnosed with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus -- also known as MRSA.
A letter was sent to parents. The district has said that the student is under a physician’s care for the skin infection and has not been in school since the diagnosis.
MRSA is spread only through direct physical contact, usually with an open wound or sore. It typically appears as a pimple or boil n red, swollen, painful -- and may have pus or other drainage associated with it. If left untreated, it can progress into a serious illness.
The best way to prevent infection, according to health experts, is through frequent hand washing with warm, soapy water and covering all wounds with a clean, dry bandage.
Cumberland Valley is the fourth local school within the past week -n joining Franklin Elementary in Harrisburg, Faust Junior High School in Chambersburg, Susquenita Middle School in Perry County and Northern York County School District n- to have a student diagnosed with the staph infection.
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Posted: November 01 2007 at 4:58pm |
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Posted: November 01 2007 at 5:29pm |
Doctors: MRSA in Illinois on rise
By Nishi Gupta
Posted: Thursday, November 01, 2007 at 3:45 p.m.
HAVANA -- Experts tell us Illinois is seeing an increasing number of people infected with MRSA, also known as the Superbug.
Known for being resistant to antibiotics, it can be deadly in rare cases.
Doctors say for every one person infected with MRSA, there's 10 others who carry the bacteria.
They fear the infection is getting out into the community and don't know why or how to stop it.
Nowadays 2-year-old Taryn has a smile on her face but just a few months ago the Havana toddler wasn't so playful.
Lori Wickman says her daughter was diagnosed with MRSA.
Taryn's infection started with bumps, which erupted into pus-filled sores
"It was very nasty, gross-looking and just looked painful. You could look at it and just knew that it hurt," Wickman said.
Wickman says Taryn is no longer contagious, however, she may never be in the clear either.
"We still don't know what it means for her. they said she could have outbreaks the rest of her life they don't know. they can't tell us," Wickman.
"She literally would just scream bloody murder and tried to scoot away from you."
Doctors fear that the disease known for rearing its ugly head in hospitals and schools is going beyond those walls.
Local pathologist Dr. Douglas McGrady says its part of an alarming trend nationally and the heart of Illinois is no exception.
He and others are especially concerned about the disease festering in other communal areas.
"It's also quite possible that closed populations like prisons, for instance, we're hearing about sports teams, for example- that these closed populations can have little outbreaks of this and become colonized," McGrady said.
Some former local correctional officers say they're living proof.
Two at Canton's Illinois River Correctional Center say they got MRSA from an infected inmate they believe was transferred from another prison.
The officers declined interviews but sent us photos of their sores.
MRSA is popping up in other state prisons, too.
AFSCME union leader Buddy Maupin says two dozen correctional officers reported infections and believe they too, got it at work.
Maupin says it can easily spread from there.
"Think of the example that I gave of the officer that gave it to his wife and his children. Those kids go to school, swim in the community pool. I don't know where his wife works or if she's in an environment. And when you have inmates that are paroled out that are positive?" Maupin said.
He says the Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) is to blame because it doesn't always isolate infected inmates, and may even transfer them from one prison to another.
A DOC administrator says there's a difference between inmates who test positive for MRSA and those who are infected with it and that the decision to isolate or transfer them is made under the advice of the department's medical staff.
"If we know they are MRSA positive then obviously that's a precaution that we would have to take and make a decision on whether or not we thought it was in the best interest of the agency, the inmates and the staff to move them," said Sergio Molina, an executive under the DOC director. "If we thought that person was infected we would not transfer that inmate."
He says he's aware a couple corrections officers may have MRSA, and admits there's been 97 cases of inmates with MRSA in the last three months.
Still, he stresses its unfair for the union to claim the DOC doesn't do enough.
"The one thing that we're going to take seriously is the health of the staff and the inmates. We have to. We're responsible for them while they're working for us and they're in our custody- the inmates. And so we don't want to expose them to any undue danger," Molina said.
Union leaders say they're not holding their breath because too much is at stake.
"We've got a fight on our hands. We don't give up we just keep fighting until we make it right," said Maupin.
Both sides say they will meet shortly to discuss how to better protect and educate staff and inmates about MRSA.
An attorney for corrections officers with MRSA has filed several workers comp claims against the state and says he's expecting many more.
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Posted: November 01 2007 at 6:01pm |
MRSA Forces Closure Of Putnam Co. School
Sycamore Elementary School in Cookeville, Putnam County was closed Thursday after a student at the school was diagnosed with MRSA, the contagious Staph infection that is resistant to antibiotics.
Crews spent the day disinfecting the school.
Kathleen Airhart, Putnam Co. Director of Schools, said, "We decided to close school today [Thursday] just because it was already half day anyway for the students. So we allowed the students to stay home which gave us the whole day to go in and thoroughly clean the school."
All morning, crews sprayed down the building with a powerful disinfectant, decontaminating anything a child might...
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Posted: November 02 2007 at 3:46am |
Four more students have MRSA Friday, November 2, 2007
By BOB GROVES
STAFF WRITER
Four more students in North Jersey have been infected with MRSA, the drug-resistant bacteria.
Two unidentified students at Memorial High School in Elmwood Park are "responding positively to treatment" for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, school Superintendent Joseph F. Casapulla said in a letter to parents.
The students have been permitted to return to school provided they comply with infection-control measures.
Meanwhile, a second Clifton High School student has been infected, said Carol Leonard, district spokeswoman. The student, whose identity was not disclosed, is on medication and was sent home Thursday, she said. She did not know if the student would return to school today.
The new diagnosis brings the tally of MRSA cases in the Clifton school system to three.
In Englewood, a student at Elisabeth Morrow School is also infected by MRSA, said Diane Jordan, a nurse with the Englewood Health Department. Few details were available. The case was reported to the health department by a school nurse, Jordan said.
"We don't know if this is an Englewood child, because they're a private school and they have students from all over," Jordan said Thursday.
Elisabeth Morrow is a day school for children age 3 through eighth grade. Officials at the school could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
There have been 17 cases of MRSA in North Jersey -- 3 adults and 14 students. At least three of the students had to be hospitalized. More than 40 students and teachers in New Jersey have been infected.
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Posted: November 02 2007 at 3:55am |
Cumberland Valley student has MRSA *PA)
By Jason Scott, Sentinel Reporter, October 31, 2007
Last updated: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 10:05 AM EDT
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Cumberland Valley school officials confirmed Tuesday that a student at the high school has been diagnosed with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus -- also known as MRSA.
Cumberland Valley is the fourth local school within the past week -n joining Franklin Elementary in Harrisburg, Faust Junior High School in Chambersburg, Susquenita Middle School in Perry County and Northern York County School District n- to have a student diagnosed with the staph infection
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Posted: November 02 2007 at 3:58am |
Rumors flying over North Idaho MRSA cases
11:26 PM PDT on Thursday, November 1, 2007
KREM.com
COEUR D'ALENE -- While a number of Inland Northwest schools attempt to extinguish the MRSA bacteria inside their buildings, Ramsey Elementary in Coeur d'Alene is just trying to stop the rumors.
MRSA, also known as the "superbug."
Ramsey Principal Anna Wilson said too many people are spreading chatter about the drug-resistant staph infection, and aren't listening to the facts.
"I don't want people to be scared, but we do need all the information," said Wilson.
Several parents told KREM 2 News they heard about three new cases of MRSA at Ramsey.
Since last Friday, Ramsey has had a total of three cases of MRSA; two students and one staff member were infected.
So far, neither the Panhandle Health Department nor the school have been notified of any new confirmed cases.
Some Ramsey parents are still keeping their children home from school.
Administrators say it's not necessary.
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Posted: November 02 2007 at 5:58am |
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So now they are diagnosing this as MRSA. It does get confusing with all the young chldren who are no longer in Indonesia but right here on our doorstep dying from diseases which are not characteristically lethal.
As none IMHO sidenote 50% of all children by the age 5 have Staph or MRSA. In some statistics most Americans carry it and are only saved by immune system and non-invasion into their systems.
MC
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Posted: November 02 2007 at 8:11am |
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Does anyone think there's more of it, or is it just closer scrutiny that's leading to more reported cases and news coverage?
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Posted: November 02 2007 at 4:19pm |
Four more students have MRSA
Friday, November 2, 2007
By BOB GROVES
STAFF WRITER
Four more students in North Jersey have been infected with MRSA, the drug-resistant bacteria.
Two unidentified students at Memorial High School in Elmwood Park are "responding positively to treatment" for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, school Superintendent Joseph F. Casapulla said in a letter to parents.
The students have been permitted to return to school provided they comply with infection-control measures.
Meanwhile, a second Clifton High School student has been infected, said Carol Leonard, district spokeswoman. The student, whose identity was not disclosed, is on medication and was sent home Thursday, she said. She did not know if the student would return to school today.
The new diagnosis brings the tally of MRSA cases in the Clifton school system to three.
In Englewood, a student at Elisabeth Morrow School is also infected by MRSA, said Diane Jordan, a nurse with the Englewood Health Department. Few details were available. The case was reported to the health department by a school nurse, Jordan said.
"We don't know if this is an Englewood child, because they're a private school and they have students from all over," Jordan said Thursday.
Elisabeth Morrow is a day school for children age 3 through eighth grade. Officials at the school could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
There have been 17 cases of MRSA in North Jersey -- 3 adults and 14 students. At least three of the students had to be hospitalized. More than 40 students and teachers in New Jersey have been infected
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Posted: November 02 2007 at 4:21pm |
MRSA confirmed at Chewelah School District
CHEWELAH, Wash. - The Chewelah School District learned Thursday of two potential cases of MRSA, one at Goss Elementary School and one at Jenkins High School.
The district says it's initial response was to perform a total disinfecting of all common surfaces such as hand rails, desktops, and atheletic equipment. They say they'll also review all daily cleaning and disinfecting procedures.
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Posted: November 02 2007 at 4:22pm |
( Batavia, N.Y.) -- Four area schools have reported a total cases of the Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection.
A student at the Robert Morris School in Batavia was treated for the antibiotic-resistant infection.
Two students in the Bloomfield Central School District were also diagnosed with MRSA along with a student at the Mount Morris Junior High School.
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