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MRSA - Staph Infection in LPS Schools; Franklin & Career Center
Topic Started: Oct 22 2007, 12:51 PM (1,957 Views)
Sourapples
Advanced Member
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Franklin High School was notified by a parent this morning that one of our students has been confirmed with a case of MRSA - the staph skin infection that has been so well publicized in the media over the last few days. As this is an isolated incident thus far, school will remain open and operating under normal hours.



We have been in contact with the Wayne County Health Department and are carefully following their reporting procedures and guidelines. The attached letter provides some information regarding our efforts of disinfection and sanitization. We are distributing it to students to take home this afternoon. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. DRW

Attachment:
http://www.livonia.k12.mi.us/mailout/ViewA...A42D74-3014-964





Dear Parents,

A parent notified Franklin High School and the Livonia Career Technical Center this morning that one of our students was confirmed with a case of MRSA - the staph skin infection that has been so well publicized in the media over the last few days. As this is an isolated incident thus far, school will remain open and operating under normal hours.



We have been in contact with the Wayne County Health Department and are carefully following their guidance. Our custodial staff had already begun a proactive and heightened program of disinfection and sanitization. Still the best preventative measure is for everyone to practice good hygiene with a special emphasis on washing hands

several times a day.



The attached letter is being sent to you via e-mail. Letters were sent home, beginning at 11:24 a.m. and will continue to be sent home throughout the day. Tomorrow the students in the 1 – 2 and 1 – 3 hr block classes will also receive this letter to take home. Please speak to your sons or daughters about washing their hands and not sharing their drinks to help prevent the spread of this staph infection.



Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.





Janet Haas

Principal

Attachment:
http://www.livonia.k12.mi.us/mailout/ViewA...75DEE2-3014-965

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Deleted User
Deleted User

October 22, 2007

Dear Parents,

Franklin High School was notified by a parent this morning that one of our students has been confirmed with a case of MRSA – the staph skin infection that has been so well publicized in the media over the last few days. As this is an isolated incident thus far, school will remain open and operating under normal hours.

When cases of MRSA were reported throughout the metropolitan Detroit area last week, the custodial staff of each LPS school building began a proactive and heightened program of disinfection and sanitization. We are fortunate that our schools already have an everyday cleaning schedule. As part of our daily cleaning, we are also using a disinfectant cleaner specifically for MRSA. Our coaches received informational material and are stressing cleanliness with our athletes. We have contacted and are following the reporting procedures and guidance of the Wayne County Health Department.

The best preventative measure is for everyone to practice good hygiene with a special emphasis on washing our hands several times a day. Healthy conditions and healthy kids are our common goals.

Sincerely,

Daniel R. Willenborg

Principal



This from Franklin's web site, a more detailed letter
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Nikki
Veteran
"Please speak to your sons or daughters about washing their hands and not sharing their drinks to help prevent the spread of this staph infection."

Under the circumstances, I think it's a good idea to stay away from the communal drinking fountains.

http://www.parents.com/parents/story.jsp?s...91605315114.xml

Excerpt from "Got Germs?" Parents Magazine, November 2007.

Germy Zone: Water Fountains

A typical drinking fountain contains more harmful germs than a public toilet seat, according to a recent study at elementary schools by NSF International, a nonprofit health and safety organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Kids tend to touch the spigot with their fingers or their mouth, passing on germs to the next person who drinks. Cold and flu viruses can live on the metal for up to five hours.

Stay safe: Teach your child to keep his lips (and fingers) off the spigot and to let the water run for a few seconds before sipping. "That helps wash away harmful organisms," says Robert Donofrio, director of the microbiology lab at NSF International. Or take along a separate water bottle -- just make sure he's the only one who drinks from it.


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Deleted User
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We had flag football at Franklin yesterday, and lots of people went through there.
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Mrs.M
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Franklin played Churchill on Thursday and Friday - football

When cases of MRSA were reported throughout the metropolitan Detroit area last week, the custodial staff of each LPS school building began a proactive and heightened program of disinfection and sanitization.

I wonder how far the custodial staff got.
Frost sent out the MRSA fact sheet today. Some day all the LPS schools may get in sync.
I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG.
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Mrs.M
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http://www.clickondetroit.com/health/14375621/detail.html

2 Cases Of MRSA Reported In Local Schools

POSTED: 7:35 am EDT October 19, 2007
UPDATED: 7:33 pm EDT October 22, 2007

Two more local schools have confirmed cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA staph infection.

The anti-biotic resistant staph infection has been reported at Franklin High School in Livonia and Lamphere High School in Madison Heights on Monday.

Franklin and Lamphere High schools sent out a note to parents after they received confirmed cases of students diagnosed with staph infection, also known as MRSA.

School officials told Local 4 News that as a precaution, both schools have been cleaning and disinfecting the building every day for the past couple of weeks, and there is no cause for concern.

The students are believed to be OK, and school will be in session Tuesday for both schools.

Class at Clawson High School were canceled on Friday afternoon after school officials confirmed a student was infected with MRSA.

All students were sent home around 11:15 a.m., and all after-school activities were canceled for the day, according to a school official.

Crews worked over the weekend to disinfect the school. School officials said classes resumed as scheduled on Monday.

School officials said the infected student was not an athlete.

Meanwhile, Clifford Smart Middle School in Commerce Township and Walled Lake Central High School are back to normal after a MRSA case was confirmed at both schools.

School officials said crews sprayed classrooms, hallways and lockers with an antibacterial solution.

MRSA is spread through skin-to-skin contact or sharing towels or other sensitive clothing.

"It's the talk of my subdivision," said parent Tracie Ginster. "No one wants to send their kids to school. We're scared to death."

Parents at the school spent Thursday sharing information and wondering why the school sent letters home only with the football team. "I have two daughters who go to this school and a son. My son just happened to pick this [letter] up," Ginster said.

Sixth-grader Alex Knop, who is not on the football team, said he read a friend's letter.

"It was only for the kids in the athletic program. Only those kids were supposed to know about it," he said.

The second Oakland County school reporting a new case of MRSA is Reuther Middle School on Auburn Road in Rochester Hills. A letter from that school said a parent called to report their child was diagnosed with the infection.

Other parents at Reuther said they were assured their school was disinfected as well.

"They're wiping all the door handles. The kids have all been told to keep washing their hands," said parent Vicky Schweikhart
I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG.
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chickmunk
Advanced Member
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I know the schools are doing what they can to disinfect everything, but I just got home from a volleyball game where this thought really hit me:

with all of the recent talk about MRSA, don't you guys think we should stop the pre- & post-game "good luck" & "good game" handshakes???

They still did it (the handshakes) this evening. Perhaps any unnecesary contact should be avoided? It's just a thought.....
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chickmunk
Advanced Member
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Here is a quote from the Detroit News if anyone is interested in following the MRSA info:

" HOWELL -- New cases of the drug-resistant bacteria MRSA have been diagnosed in at least six more southeast Michigan school districts: Howell, Utica, Lamphere, Livonia, West Bloomfield and Marysville. "

this is the link:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...PDATE/710230426

This site also has MRSA info on it from all over Michigan:
http://search.mlive.com/sp?aff=1&keywords=mrsa

the mlive site is new to me but I notice people do A LOT of blogging/commenting there!!
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Vanna White
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http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../710240379/1026

Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Five districts report MRSA
Schools stay open but take precautions against infections
Shawn D. Lewis / The Detroit News

HOWELL -- Five more school districts across Metro Detroit are confirming newly-diagnosed cases of the drug-resistant staph infection MRSA.

West Bloomfield, Howell, Lamphere, Utica and Marysville schools reported new cases of methicillin-resistant Streptococcus aureus, but have not decided to close schools as some districts did last week.

"We consulted with the Livingston County Health Department and we were told that we made the right decision not to close the school because it was just one incidence, and we already were disinfecting the schools," said Howell Superintendent Chuck Breiner.

Administrators in West Bloomfield learned from a parent of a West Bloomfield High School student that the student had been diagnosed with MRSA on Friday.

"The student has been treated and is back in school because it was an infection on his toe and it is fully wrapped and inside of a shoe so there's no problem of someone else getting it," said district spokesman Steve Wasko. "We already had begun a regimen every day of disinfecting all student desks with a misting product that doesn't require wiping off."

In the past two weeks, MRSA cases have appeared in the Walled Lake, Romeo, Brandon, Grosse Pointe, Clawson, Lamphere, Livonia and Rochester school districts. A 17-year-old Virginia boy died of the disease two weeks ago.

Michigan Department of Community Health spokesman T.J. Bucholz said statewide there have been 15 cases of MRSA reported this year, down from last year's 77 cases. Oakland County Health Department Director George Miller said there's a greater awareness of MRSA this year.

"The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) brought this to people's attention, which is never a bad thing," said Miller. "So parents are now looking at cuts differently and instead of yelling about a cut, now they're saying, 'Let's get this checked out.' "

You can reach Shawn D. Lewis at (248) 647-8825 or slewis@detnews.com.

About MRSA

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that is resistant to antibiotics. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, there are about 94,000 cases of MRSA in the United States each year, 19,000 of which are fatal. The infection is spread by close skin-to-skin contact from openings in the skin. Health officials offer the following tips to prevent MRSA:

Keep hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage, until healed.

Avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages.

Avoid sharing personal items.
Source: Oakland County Michigan Health Division
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Nikki
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A Nasty Bug Breaks Out
Drug-resistant staph bacteria now stalk even students

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2...breaks-out.html

By Lindsay Lyon
Posted October 18, 2007

The trouble started in May, with a mild fever and what felt like a leg cramp. Within days, 12-year-old Hunter Spence had a temperature of 107 degrees and was fighting for her life in a hospital nearly 85 miles from her Victoria, Texas, home. There, doctors told her parents she had contracted methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and wasn't expected to live. Immune to common antibiotics, the MRSA infection had invaded her bloodstream, bones, and lungs. The seventh grader eventually got out of danger, but only after seven operations and five weeks in intensive care.

Hunter’s terrifying experience is not an isolated event. Once confined primarily to hospitals and healthcare institutions, antibiotic-resistant staph is now increasingly attacking healthy people in communities across the country. Schools nationwide have been reporting outbreaks: Last Monday, the MRSA-related death of a 17-year-old Virginia student—one of three such fatalities in recent weeks—spurred officials to close 21 area schools for cleaning; schools in other states have been evacuated for disinfection. Jaime Fergie, the pediatric infections specialist who treated Hunter at Driscoll Children’s Hospital, has observed exponential growth in such MRSA cases at the hospital in recent years, including three deaths since 2005.

"Young, healthy people who haven't been to a hospital since birth [are] getting sick," says Elizabeth Bancroft of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Across all age groups, MRSA was the culprit behind more than 94,000 life-threatening infections and almost 19,000 deaths in the United States in 2005, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

When detected early, even resistant staph is very treatable, says Neil Fishman, a physician and spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The first sign of infection can be boils, which sometimes resemble spider bites and tend to become red, hot, and tender, or larger skin abscesses. While severe cases like Hunter's are rare, suspicious wounds should get medical attention. It's during treatment that MRSA can reveal its most frightening side: Unlike common staph, it's impervious to all but a few antibiotics. Specialized drugs can still kill it, however.

Staph microbes reside, usually harmlessly, in about 30 or 40 percent of the population. Infections typically occur when the bug comes in contact with a wound, and they can be transmitted by direct contact or via shared, contaminated items such as towels and bars of soap. Athletes who have cuts and scrapes may acquire it in locker rooms or during contact sports. Virginia's education department is recommending daily disinfection of objects that see heavy use—desks, countertops, drinking fountains, weightlifting machines, and basketballs.

While the growing threat of community-acquired infections is alarming, it still pales in comparison with MRSA cases linked to healthcare facilities. In last week's JAMA report, CDC researchers found that rates of the infection were highest among people 65 years and older, many of whom were in or had recently been in a hospital or nursing home. Says Bancroft: "It's Grandma I'm a lot more worried about than kids."
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Sourapples
Advanced Member
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Most comprehensive site on MRSA info

Centers for Desease Control - MRSA in Schools
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Nikki
Veteran
LPS mailout:


MRSA INFORMATION


There has been widespread concern regarding MRSA --a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—staph skin infection. There have been no reports of MRSA outbreaks from county health departments in Wayne, Oakland or Macomb. Health departments are not required to report individual cases to the Michigan Department of Community Health unless there is a cluster or outbreak of at least three cases in one area.

Whenever there is a confirmed case of an infectious disease, such as MRSA, in Livonia Public Schools, we take all due precautions and notify parents, just as we would with a report of measles, rubella or impetigo.


“Staph bacteria can be found on a quarter of the population,” said Carol Chenoweth, a University of Michigan physician specializing in infectious diseases. “The bacteria can enter the body through open wounds or be spread through contact with bodily fluids, which can lead to infections. There are commonsense things people can do to prevent the spread of staph infections,” Chenoweth said, including "not sharing items that are contaminated, such as ... towels and razors." (Detroit News October 19, 2007)

Due to this concern, anyone who exhibits any skin rash is currently being tested for the infection. In Troy they had at least two misdiagnoses regarding this type of staph. Simply having a rash does not mean that it is or will develop into MRSA. In Livonia Public Schools all athletic areas are routinely cleaned and disinfected. We are increasing our attention to these areas and other areas in our buildings to be sure all areas are disinfected and cleaned. We will have a new antibacterial cleaner in the District on Monday which is a specific disinfectant cleaner for MRSA. We are cleaning all athletic areas at both high schools and middle schools (LCTC too) and are working on disinfecting our busses. While there are no indications of any cases at elementary schools, we are making the MRSA specific disinfectant available at the elementary level. In addition we are making an effort to be sure all areas are cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis.

The best preventative measure is for students to wash their hands regularly and practice good hygiene. We have soap dispensers in all district rest rooms and locker rooms to assist in helping all students stay healthy.


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For4
Advanced Member
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"While there are no indications of any cases at elementary schools, [size=7]we are making the MRSA specific disinfectant available[/size] at the elementary level. In addition we are making an effort to be sure all areas are cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. "


I know I have grown very cynical this past year or so in regards to LPS...but is anyone else worried that they simply state they are making the disinfectant AVAILABLE at the elementary level...not that it is being used?
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chickmunk
Advanced Member
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I agree, I had to read that part a couple of times (maybe it's just the wording...) I must be getting cynical too. I went to the CDC site that was suggested and here is what jumped out at me:


"Should the entire school community be notified of every MRSA infection?

• Usually, it should not be necessary to inform the entire school community about a single MRSA infection. When an MRSA infection occurs within the school population, the school nurse and school physician should determine, based on their medical judgment, whether some or all students, parents and staff should be notified. Consultation with the local public health authorities should be used to guide this decision."

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools

I sure hope they do tell us numbers (if they increase) That's going to be the only way to stop rumors. I already heard (Note: not true!) about 4 cases in one LPSschool. Thankfully the principal verified just one case as of today.
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Mrs.M
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'operative' words are sometimes used to mislead



I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG.
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Nikki
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chickmunk
Oct 24 2007, 12:39 PM
I agree, I had to read that part a couple of times (maybe it's just the wording...) I must be getting cynical too. I went to the CDC site that was suggested and here is what jumped out at me:


"Should the entire school community be notified of every MRSA infection?

• Usually, it should not be necessary to inform the entire school community about a single MRSA infection. When an MRSA infection occurs within the school population, the school nurse and school physician should determine, based on their medical judgment, whether some or all students, parents and staff should be notified. Consultation with the local public health authorities should be used to guide this decision."

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools

I sure hope they do tell us numbers (if they increase) That's going to be the only way to stop rumors. I already heard (Note: not true!) about 4 cases in one LPSschool. Thankfully the principal verified just one case as of today.

LPS does not employ school nurses.
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Nikki
Veteran
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/webwatch/...r_staph_in.html

States Report Teacher Staph Infections

Student-contracted staph infections, which in at least one case has been terminal, have recently been reported from New Hampshire to Georgia. Four cases of teachers infected with the methicillin-resistant MRSA have also appeared in local headlines. And a national report released this week indicates that staph infections killed more people in 2005 than HIV/AIDS, proving that it is more common than previously thought.

According to The Press of Atlantic City, an elementary school teacher in Bridgeton, N.J., has been out of work for two weeks since acquiring the infection during a hospital stay. Upon notification of the teacher’s infection—10 days after the teacher fell ill—Cherry Street School contacted the county health department and hired an environmental firm to determine if bacteria remained in the building. “The school has gone above and beyond what they could do in the situation,” said Robin Priggemeier, an area health educator. The teacher has declined to reveal his or her identity. Other states reporting teacher staph infections include Louisiana, Ohio, and West Virginia.

The CDC reports that poor hygiene is one of the most frequently associated causes of MRSA. To discourage infection, the health organization suggests frequent hand washing with soap and water or hand sanitizer and avoiding skin-to-skin contact, the sharing of towels, and other people’s open wounds.


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michelebel
Member
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From the ClickonDetroit.com website:

A staff member at the Perrinville Early Childhood Center in Livonia is receiving treatment after being diagnosed with MRSA.

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Deleted User
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Link posted on LPS home page MRSA Info

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools/#q8

In what settings do MRSA skin infections occur?

• MRSA skin infections can occur anywhere.

• Some settings have factors that make it easier for MRSA to be transmitted.

• These factors, referred to as the 5 C's, are as follows: Crowding, frequent skin-to-skin Contact, Compromised skin (i.e., cuts or abrasions), Contaminated items and surfaces, and lack of Cleanliness.

• Locations where the 5 C's are common include schools, dormitories, military barracks, households, correctional facilities, and daycare centersShould the entire school community be notified of every MRSA infection?

• Usually, it should not be necessary to inform the entire school community about a single MRSA infection. When an MRSA infection occurs within the school population, the school nurse and school physician should determine, based on their medical judgment, whether some or all students, parents and staff should be notified. Consultation with the local public health authorities should be used to guide this decision.

• Remember that staphylococcus (staph) bacteria, including MRSA, have been and remain a common cause of skin infections.

Should the school be notified that my child has an MRSA infection?

• Consult with your school about its policy for notification of skin infections.

Should students with MRSA skin infections be excluded from attending school?

• Unless directed by a physician, students with MRSA infections should not be excluded from attending school.

• Exclusion from school and sports activities should be reserved for those with wound drainage ("pus") that cannot be covered and contained with a clean, dry bandage and for those who cannot maintain good personal hygiene.
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Nikki
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7th-grader's death sparks parents' superbug concerns
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/students-deat...S00010000000001

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The death of a 12-year-old student in Brooklyn from the staph infection MRSA has prompted fear among parents and students throughout the New York City school system, forcing officials to respond.


Omar Rivera, 12, a New York seventh-grader, died of drug-resistant staph on October 14.

Omar Rivera, a seventh-grader at Intermediate School 211, died October 14 from the infection, according to the New York City school superintendent, but investigators were unable to confirm where he contracted the infection.

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.

"There's often no way to know how an individual person got the infection," said New York City Health Commissioner Tom Frieden. "An infection in a child like this is extremely rare. Fatal infections in children is in the order of 1 in a million. It's a terrible tragedy and our hearts go out to the family."

The Health Department is holding a news conference Friday afternoon to provide more details on Rivera's death, and to provide tips to parents about protecting their children. Watch more on the student's death »

Still, despite assurances from health officials that Rivera's death was an isolated incident, several parents decided to keep their children out of IS 211, which opened at its normal time Friday after the disclosure of Rivera's death Thursday, as it has every day since the death.

The Heath Department said in its statement, "We have no reason to believe that other children or school employees are at increased risk of staph infection."

Don't Miss
Bacteria that killed Virginia teen found in other schools
Experts: Drug-resistant staph deaths may surpass AIDS toll
TIME: What you need to know about staph
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.

Dr. Julie Gerberding, the director of the CDC, says these infections are not new. "It's important to appreciate that many of these infections are the same infections moms have been dealing with for decades. They're very preventable," she says.

"If you see a skin infection that looks like the redness is getting bigger or if it's associated with a lot of swelling around the wound or if the individual has a fever, those are reasons to definitely seek doctor's attention. But most of the time these are things that can be treated with the same kind of common sense approach that is we've been using for years."

Pat Mshar, an epidemiologist for Connecticut's Department of Health, emphasized that the highest rate of MRSA deaths -- 58 percent -- is found in hospitals.

"The healthy person in the community -- like the high school student -- generally is going to be able to be treated adequately without adverse outcome," she said. So long as an infected student seeks treatment, covers open cuts or lesions and avoids direct skin contact with other students, "it's OK to go to school."


She noted that recent reports of MRSA numbers and the student deaths has heightened concern. "Parents are more aware of MRSA now than they ever were before," she said.

For more information, see the MayoClinic.com's information on MRSA,Centers for Disease Control's Invasive MRSA Fact Sheet, its advice on MRSA in schools and the Journal of the American Medical Association's Patient Page on MRSA..
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