Newburgh - The Newburgh Enlarged City School District announced that a student who attends one of the district’s school’s was recently diagnosed with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). The school district is working closely with the Orange County Public Health Department to minimize any risk to students and to school employees.
"While our students have not been identified to be at any increased risk of contracting MRSA," said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Annette M. Saturnelli, "we believe it is important that all families and staff be provided with the same information about the infection and about actions that can be taken to help prevent its transmission."
Staphylococcus Aureus (SA) is a germ (bacterium) that frequently causes skin infections. MRSA, first identified more than 40 years ago, is a strain that is resistant to certain antibiotics. Its occurrence has been increasing in frequency across the country.
Staphylococcal infections are usually spread from one person to another by close, skin-to-skin contact, usually through contaminated hands. Community-Acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) most commonly causes skin infections (pimples, boils, or pustules) and can occasionally cause more significant soft tissue infections (furuncles or cellulitis). If medical treatment is indicated and an appropriate antibiotic is prescribed, almost all superficial skin infections heal. In rare cases, particularly in a person who has other medical conditions, more serious infection can occur. MRSA skin infections are usually not worse than typical staphylococcal infections in previously healthy school children or healthy adults.
"If you have any concerns about your child’s health or your health," said Newburgh School District Director of Health Services Audrey Carey, "you should contact your health care provider."
"The simplest and most important measure to prevent the spread of infection," continued Carey, "is to use good personal hygiene, which consists of hand washing, proper care of skin injuries and skin infections, and avoiding sharing personal items such as razors, headgear, earphones, cell phones, towels, and the like. Children who do have MRSA infections should be allowed to go to school as long as they are not showing any signs of illness and as long as areas of skin infection can be fully covered by bandages,"said Carey.
"Although, according to the Orange County Public Health Department, environmental clean-up is rarely indicated," said Dr. Saturnelli, "all of the district’s buildings have been cleaned thoroughly with an appropriate disinfectant."
More information about CA-MRSA in schools can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at www.cdc.gov/features/MRSAinSchools/. For further district information, please contact the district’s Department of Health Services and Health Education at 563-5474.
