December 28, 2014
Dear Parents and Guardians,
On December 26, 2014 I wrote to you to inform you that our district had been informed that there was a confirmed case of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as MRSA, at the High School. I am writing to you today to inform you that we have learned that there is another confirmed case of MRSA at the High School. Due to privacy laws, I am restricted from sharing individual details about the students involved. However, I can share with you that these two cases appear to be isolated and are sports related involving two players on one team who regularly practice together.
Understandably, this situation is a concern to all of us; however, please be assured that the district continues to act in a vigilant and proactive manner to maximize our ability to help contain the spread of MRSA. In addition to our regular cleaning and disinfecting protocol, we have undertaken supplemental and extensive disinfecting measures.
As explained in my prior letter, MRSA is a bacterial infection that is occasionally presented in school settings throughout Long Island and the entire country. It is a type of staph that has developed antibiotic resistance (certain antibiotics are unable to kill the bacteria). Since staph is spread primarily by direct (skin-to-skin) human contact or with direct contact to wound drainage of someone who is carrying or infected with the bacteria, anyone with a break in his or her skin is at risk. MRSA may also occur less frequently through indirect contact with contaminated surfaces or items. MRSA is not spread through the air.
Additionally, since staph infections begin abruptly, if you suspect your child may have a staph infection of any type please contact your physician and take your child for a test. Symptoms may include a large area of redness on the skin, swelling and pain, followed by a pustule or abscess or boils and carbuncles (red, lumpy sores filled with pus). MRSA is treatable with strong broad-spectrum antibiotics. However, if left untreated it may result in severe illness that requires hospitalization.
Students and their family members should take the following precautions to help prevent skin infections:
Encourage frequent hand washing with soap and warm water.
Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or anything contaminated by a wound.
Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
Avoid sharing personal items such as razors, towels, deodorant, or soap that directly touch the body.
It is important for the school district to be able to tract students with MRSA. Therefore, please inform your school’s nurse if your child is diagnosed with MRSA. Additional information regarding MRSA may be found at the Centers for Disease Control website (http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/).
If you have any additional questions, I recommend that you contact your family physician.
Sincerely,
Michael F. Ring, Ed. D
↧