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2nd student with MRSA reported
By Judy Kroeger, DAILY COURIER
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Last updated: 8:48 am
A second student in the Connellsville Area School District has been disagnosed with MRSA, and is under a doctor's care.
Superintendent David Goodin said a student at Connellsville Area High School has methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The diagnosis was confirmed and district officials were notified after the end of Monday's school day. Goodin said the student is under a physician's care.
Custodians disinfected the entire building, including desks, doorknobs and other surfaces and a notification was sent home to parents Tuesday.
Goodin said the letter indicates that the source of the infection cannot be identified, but MRSA can be spread by contact with hands, wound drainage or nasal secretions. Frequent hand-washing with soap and warm water is the best way to prevent staph. Students are instructed to not share personal objects. Any wound that does not heal should be examined by a physician.
Goodin said a student at Dunbar Township Elementary School was diagnosed with MRSA the first week of school.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta described the most common symptom of a staph infection: "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."
The CDC Web site, www.cdc.gov, also states that staph infections, including MRSA, can be treated. "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 health care provider. If, after visiting your health care 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 health care provider."
2nd student with MRSA reported
By Judy Kroeger, DAILY COURIER
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Last updated: 8:48 am
A second student in the Connellsville Area School District has been disagnosed with MRSA, and is under a doctor's care.
Superintendent David Goodin said a student at Connellsville Area High School has methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The diagnosis was confirmed and district officials were notified after the end of Monday's school day. Goodin said the student is under a physician's care.
Custodians disinfected the entire building, including desks, doorknobs and other surfaces and a notification was sent home to parents Tuesday.
Goodin said the letter indicates that the source of the infection cannot be identified, but MRSA can be spread by contact with hands, wound drainage or nasal secretions. Frequent hand-washing with soap and warm water is the best way to prevent staph. Students are instructed to not share personal objects. Any wound that does not heal should be examined by a physician.
Goodin said a student at Dunbar Township Elementary School was diagnosed with MRSA the first week of school.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta described the most common symptom of a staph infection: "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."
The CDC Web site, www.cdc.gov, also states that staph infections, including MRSA, can be treated. "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 health care provider. If, after visiting your health care 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 health care provider."