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MRSA reported at school
A case of MRSA, short for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus
infection, has been confirmed at South Boston Elementary School,
prompting a letter Wednesday to parents from the Southside Health
District.
The letter advises what MRSA is (a contagious bacterial infection)
and
what can be done about it (“effective treatment is available”) and
advice on prevention (wash hands, keep wounds covered, don’t share
personal items like towels).
MRSA, a bacteria commonly found on skin and in the nose, can be
resistant to antibiotics. It spreads through hand-to-hand contact,
open
sores or nasal secretions. It can be lethal if not treated.
This past fall, Bedford County closed its 21 schools for
disinfecting
after MRSA killed a 17-year-old student. About the same time,
Rappahannock County closed two schools for cleaning, prompted by
similar concerns.
Although school principals have observed that the bacteria
predominantly affects student-athletes, cases have been reported in
children of elementary school age as well.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 25 to 30 percent
of
the population carries staphylococcus bacteria in their bodies.
While
such infections are typically minor, some invasive MRSA infections
can
become fatal because they are caused by drug-resistant staph. More
than
18,000 people died during a hospital stay from an MRSA infection in
2005, according to an October 2007 press release from the CDC, more
than the number who died from AIDS that year. MRSA is seldom fatal
to
healthy people, but can be lethal to those with already compromised
health.