Student in DASD Diagnosed with MRSA

DUBOIS - The DuBois Area School District has recently consulted the Pennsylvania Department of Health concerning a student who was diagnosed with MRSA.

The school will implement precautionary measures recommended by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Parents are urged to talk to their children regarding washing their hands and keeping them clean. If parents have any concerns regarding sores that do not heal or anything that appears to be a spider bite they are urged to contact their family's physician.

Information will be sent home with all children who attend the DASD and will also be available on the district's Web site.

The letter sent home to parents in the DASD reads as follows:

The purpose of this memo is to provide you information regarding MRSA. This information has been obtained from the Center for Disease Control and Pennsylvania Department of Health websites. Please discuss the importance of hand washing with your child as it is the most effective method of preventing staph infections.

If you have any questions, please contact your child’s physician or contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258).

What is MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)?
Some staph bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. MRSA is a type of staph that is resistant to certain antibiotics.

Who gets staph or MRSA infections?
Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems. These healthcare-associated staph infections include surgical wound infections, urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia.

What is community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA)?
Staph and MRSA can also cause illness in persons outside of hospitals and healthcare facilities. MRSA infections that are acquired by persons who have not been recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure (such as dialysis, surgery, catheters) are know as CA-MRSA infections. Staph or MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people.

How common are staph and MRSA infections?
Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infection in the United States and are a common cause of pneumonia, surgical wound infections, and bloodstream infections. The majority of MRSA infections occur among patients in hospitals or other healthcare settings; however, it is becoming more common in the community setting. Data from a prospective study in 2003, suggests that 12 percent of clinical MRSA infections are community-associated, but this varies by geographic region and population.

What does a staph or MRSA infection look like?
Staph bacteria, including MRSA, can cause skin infections that may look like a pimple or boil and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. More serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or surgical wound infections

How can I prevent staph or MRSA skin infections?
Practice good hygiene:
1. Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
2. Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
3. Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.
4. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.

Are people with weakened immune systems at increased risk for MRSA? Should they be taking special precautions?
People with weakened immune systems, which include some patients with HIV infection, people on chemotherapy for cancer or those taking high dose steroids may be at risk for more severe illness if they get infected with MRSA. People with weakened immune systems should follow the same prevention measures as those without weakened immune systems to prevent staph infections, including practice good hygiene, cover wounds (e.g., cuts or abrasions) with clean dry bandages, avoid sharing personal items such as towels and razors, and contact their doctor if they think they have an infection.

What should I do if I think I have a staph or MRSA infection?
Keep infections covered with clean, dry bandages, especially infections that produce pus or drain material. See your healthcare provider!

Are staph and MRSA infections treatable?
Yes. Most staph and MRSA infections are treatable with antibiotics. If you are given an antibiotic, take all of the doses, even if the infection is getting better, unless your doctor tells you to stop taking it. Do not share antibiotics with other people or save unfinished antibiotics to use at another time. However, many staph skin infections may be treated by draining the abscess or boil and may not require antibiotics. Drainage of skin boils or abscesses should only be done by a healthcare provider. If after visiting your healthcare provider the infection is not getting better after a few days, contact them again. If other people you know or live with get the same infection tell them to go to their healthcare provider.

Is it possible that my staph or MRSA skin infection will come back after it is cured?
Yes. It is possible to have a staph or MRSA skin infection come back (recur) after it is cured. To prevent this from happening, follow your healthcare provider’s directions while you have the infection, and follow the prevention steps after the infection is gone.

If I have a staph, or MRSA skin infection, what can I do to prevent others from getting infected?
You can prevent spreading staph or MRSA skin infections to others by following these steps:
1. Cover your wound. Keep wounds that are draining or have pus covered with clean, dry bandages. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on proper care of the wound. Pus from infected wounds can contain staph and MRSA, so keeping the infection covered will help prevent the spread to others. Bandages or tape can be discarded with the regular trash.
2. Clean your hands. You, your family, and others in close contact should wash their hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.
3. Do not share personal items. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, washcloths, razors, clothing, or uniforms that may have had contact with the infected wound or bandage. 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.
4. Talk to your doctor. Tell any healthcare providers who treat you that you have or had a staph or MRSA skin infection.

Any questions should be referred to your family physician or to the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 1-877-PA-HEALTH.