Base primary school student diagnosed with MRSA staph

A student at the base primary school has been diagnosed with the MRSA staph infection -- an antibiotic-resistant disease that has received considerable national attention recently following the deaths of a small number of individuals across the country.

But public health officials are advising parents not to panic.

"This disease has been around for a long time," said Central District Health public information specialist Dave Fotsch. "We don't think the community should be alarmed about MRSA as its spread can be minimized by using good old soap and water and common sense."

Fotsch said the disease is almost always curable, when caught early. The student who had the disease on base was successfully treated and already has returned to class.

"If you have a wound that gets infected, becomes very red, and doesn't seem to be going away, it's always a good idea to check with your health-care provider," Fotsch suggested.

Most cases of MRSA staff infections, about 85 percent, are acquired in health care settings, such as hospitals, Fotsch noted.

School district officials, as soon as they learned of the diagnosis, sent a cautionary warning letter to parents. In addition, "we have ordered new cleaning supplies that help control the spread of germs and our custodians are following procedures to maintain a clean school environment," said Mountain Home schools Supt. Tim McMurtrey.

"We are purchasing sanitized wipes for the computer labs to wipe off the keyboards and are also installing touch-free hand sanitizing stations for our lunchrooms.

"We're following all CDC (Center for Disease Control) guidelines," he said.

Staff is a common bacillis, but some forms of it, such as MRSA, like a number of other diseases, in recent years have become resistant to traditional antibiotics, making them potentially dangerous.

Staph infections, including MRSA, generally start as small red bumps that resemble pimples, boils, or spider bites. They can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses that require surgical draining. Sometimes the bacteria remain confined to the skin, but they can also burrow deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves, and lungs, Fotsch explained.

"Upon returning to school, your child must have his or her sores covered with a dry bandage or wrap. The school will check and determine if the student can re-enter the classroom," he said.

Although MRSA staff infections are not a reportable disease, where Central District Health can track its spread and provide public alerts, "the public health community is becoming more aware of the presence and spread of MRSA in community settings and believe it is wise for the general public to increase their knowledge of the issue," Fotsch said.

For more information about MRSA staff, go to "Information for the public and health care providers: Overview of Community-Associated MRSA, at the Center for Disease Control website at: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca.html.

Additional links to other MRSA information resources can be found there as well.