|
Important information for students and
parents regarding CA-MRSA
Late in the afternoon on Thursday,
October 18, 2007 school district officials were informed and have
confirmed that a student (a non-athlete) at Guilderland High
School has been diagnosed with Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA).
A letter was sent home the following afternoon with all students,
K-12, explaining the situation and providing parents with a
CA-MRSA fact sheet.
Download the letter and fact sheet. (PDF)
Guilderland is one of many school
districts throughout the state dealing with this issue and
we are working closely with the Albany County Health
Department on the treatment and prevention of CA-MRSA in our
district. We want to assure parents that the
Guilderland Central School District is doing all that is
necessary to provide a safe and healthy school environment
for both our students and staff.
We continue to reinforce good hygiene
practices with our general student population, as well as
our athletes because they may be particularly susceptible.
Please encourage your children to wash their hands
thoroughly with soap, which health authorities tell us is
the best preventive measure for this infection.
The district has also implemented
preventive measures in our school buildings to try to
eliminate the spread of the bacteria. Additional cleaning
and sanitizing efforts by our custodial staff throughout our
school buildings are taking place with special emphasis on
physical education and sports equipment, locker rooms,
bathrooms, and common surfaces and areas. In addition, all building administrators, nurses,
maintenance and transportation personnel have been made
aware of the symptoms and precautionary measures related to
CA-MRSA.
We encourage parents to talk to their
children about the importance of good hygiene practices—in
particular, the importance of washing their hands frequently
and keeping cuts and scrapes bandaged. Additional
information about the disease and safety tips for students,
staff, and parents are listed below.
What is MRSA?
MRSA refers to a type of bacteria—Staphylococcus
aureus—that is resistant to many antibiotics. “Staph”
bacteria are commonly carried on the skin and in the nose of
healthy people, and infections caused by the bacteria
generally are not life threatening. What makes MRSA
different, however, is that it does not respond to commonly
used antibiotics such as methicillin and penicillin. MRSA is
traditionally seen in people who have been recently
hospitalized or who have been treated at a health care
facility (such as treatment at a dialysis center).
What is CA-MRSA?
Community-Associated MRSA infections
(CA-MRSA) are MRSA infections in healthy people who have not
been hospitalized or had a medical procedure (such as
dialysis or surgery) within the past year. Most of the cases
of skin infections caused by CA-MRSA have involved student
athletes (although some non-athletes have been affected as
well).
What are the symptoms of CA-MRSA
infection?
Skin infections
such as abscesses and boils are the most common form of this
infection. Symptoms may include redness, areas warm to the
touch, pain, drainage, discomfort, and swelling. If your
child is displaying any of these symptoms, or if you have
concerns about your child’s health, please contact your
family physician immediately. It is also very important that any
diagnosed cases of MRSA, or any suspected infectious
condition, be reported to your child’s school nurse and/or
athletic coach as soon as possible.
How is CA-MRSA spread?
“Staph,” including MRSA, can be spread
among people having close contact with an infected person,
although MRSA is almost always spread by direct physical
contact and not through the air. Spread may also occur
though indirect contact by touching objects contaminated
with “staph” bacteria or MRSA (such as towels, clothes,
workout areas or sports equipment).
What can you do to protect yourself
from CA-MRSA?
All community members—particularly
student athletes and athletic personnel—can help prevent and
control CA-MRSA infections by:
-
Washing hands frequently with soap
and water, especially after using any sports facilities.
-
Avoid sharing personal items such as
towns, razors, clothing or uniforms.
-
Report any suspicious skin sore or
boil to the school nurse immediately.
-
If a person participates in close
contact sports (e.g. wrestling and football) shower with
soap immediately after each practice, game or match.
-
Non-washable gear should be wiped
down with alcohol wipes after each use.
-
Any cut or break in the skin should
be washed with soap and water, and a clean, dry dressing
applied.
For more information on CA-MRSA, please
visit the following:
|
