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MRSA Health Alert
As parents you are most likely aware, there has been a lot of recent media attention to some serious cases of a disease known as “MRSA”. We understand that this can be very frightening.
Here some information from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), regarding MRSA, which may help you better understand the disease.
Overview of Community-Associated MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph that is resistant to certain antibiotics. These antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin.
While 25% to 30% of the population is colonized with staph, approximately 1% is colonized with MRSA.
What is community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA)?
Staph and MRSA can cause illness in persons outside of hospitals and healthcare facilities. MRSA infections that are acquired by persons who have not been recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure (such as dialysis, surgery, catheters) are know as CA-MRSA infections. Staph or MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people.
How common are staph and MRSA infections?
Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infection in the United States and are a common cause of pneumonia, surgical wound infections, and bloodstream infections. The majority of MRSA infections occur among patients in hospitals or other healthcare settings; however, it is becoming more common in the community setting. Data from a prospective study in 2003, suggests that 12% of clinical MRSA infections are community-associated, but this varies by geographic region and population.
While 25% to 30% of the population is colonized with staph, approximately 1% is colonized with MRSA.
What does a staph or MRSA infection look like?
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.
Are certain people at increased risk for community-associated staph or MRSA infections?
Factors that have been associated with the spread of MRSA skin infections include: close skin-to-skin contact, openings in the skin such as cuts or abrasions, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions, and poor hygiene.
How can I prevent staph or MRSA skin infections?
Practice good hygiene:
Keep your 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 such as towels or razors.
What should I do if I think I have a staph or MRSA infection?
See your healthcare provider. A culture can confirm that it is or is not MRSA.
Are staph and MRSA infections treatable?
Yes. Most staph and MRSA infections are treatable with antibiotics. If you are given an antibiotic by your healthcare provider, 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.
If I have a staph, or MRSA skin infection, what can I do to prevent others from getting infected?
You can prevent spreading staph or MRSA skin infections to others by following these steps:
Cover your wound. Keep wounds that are draining or have pus covered with clean, dry bandages. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on proper care of the wound. Pus from infected wounds can contain staph and MRSA, so keeping the infection covered will help prevent the spread to others. Bandages or tape can be discarded with the regular trash.
Clean your hands. You, your family, and others in close contact should wash their hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.
Do not share personal items. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, washcloths, razors, clothing, or uniforms that may have had contact with the infected wound or bandage. Wash sheets, towels, and clothes that become soiled with water and laundry detergent. Drying clothes in a hot dryer, rather than air-drying, also helps kill bacteria in clothes.
Surfaces can be cleaned with 1:10 chlorine bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water; that would be 1 2/3 cups of bleach to 1 gallon of water.)
Tell your doctor/healthcare provider. Tell any healthcare providers who treat you that you have or had a staph or MRSA skin infection.
In response to the public concern, the Florida Department of Health and Department of Education have been working together. These agencies feel it is very important to provide the public with a consistent message addressing their concerns.
The following are points and recommendations from the Florida Department of Health.
Some important points:
MRSA is primarily transmitted person to person through close contact.
Rates of MRSA are lowest in school-age children, compared to persons of all other ages.
There is no current epidemic in Florida of Staph infections in general, nor of MRSA, as judged by hospitalization and mortality data.
We are seeing a long-term increase (over several years) in the proportion of Staph aureus that are antibiotic resistant, along with an increase in the aggressiveness of these infections, and there maybe some increased morbidity as a result.
As stated in the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) article 85% of the MRSA infections are in people who have had contact with a heath care facility and only 15% are in people that have not been sick lately.
Many people can carry the MRSA bacteria without knowing it. Focusing on individuals with an infection is not sufficient to address the problem and halt transmission.
Transmission of MRSA can occur both within and outside of the school setting. MRSA is a community problem and not confined to the school setting.
•MRSA infections are not new. The county health departments and school health nurses have been working with this problem for several years.
The typical classroom environment is not a high risk environment for the transmission of MRSA. Sports, where there is a lot of physical contact, potential for skin abrasions and cuts, and sharing of equipment between players, is where transmission can occur. Sharing of towels, uniforms, razors and other equipment should be avoided. Routine cleaning of locker rooms and sports equipment with a disinfectant is recommended.
MRSA has been reported from a number of schools in Florida. While it is mainly found in sports teams, especially football teams, anyone can get MRSA.
Please remember- in order to provide a safe environment for the students and staff of Pinellas County Schools-
Please contact your school and school nurse (who will contact Health Services) with any confirmed or suspected cases of MRSA.
Any student or staff member with a suspicious skin lesion/sore that appears infected should be recommended to see their physician/healthcare provider. They may return to school with the written recommendation of the healthcare provider. All wounds must be covered at all times while in school and have no drainage through bandage.
If you have any additional questions, please see http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools/
Or you may call School Health Services at 588-6320. |
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