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The Long Island Advance - South Country Student contacts MRSA
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South Country student contracts MRSA
South Country elementary school student’s illness forces more precautionary measures
By MARK NOLAN
A student at Brookhaven Elementary School in the South Country School District contracted Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as MRSA, and has been sent home, according to Superintendent Dr. Ray Walsh.
Walsh said the student, whom he would not identify, was sent home as a precaution and to treat the infection. Walsh said the infection was confirmed by the school district Tuesday and an automated phone message was being delivered to all parents and staff at the school. Walsh said the school increased its use of cleaning products since the case was reported.
“The only thing you can do to prevent it is to use antibacterial soap and wash,” Walsh said. “It’s not necessarily affected by touch to touch. We’ve contacted our district physicians and are going out with more detailed information to parents in that particular building.”
Walsh said the school district is also talking to the family to see if any of the student’s siblings are affected as well. “We’re looking for any other siblings within that family group that may be involved,” Walsh said. “Right now, it’s a very isolated case that we’re addressing very quickly. It has nothing to do with the cleanliness of the family or the school. It’s just one of those bacteria that you can catch.”
MRSA is a bacterial infection that can be resistant to some antibiotics. The bacteria, according to medical Web sites, usually lives on the skin and can cause an infection when they enter the body through a cut. Infections can be minor or more serious. There are two types of MRSA infections. One is communityassociated MRSA infections which typically occur in healthy people who have not been in a hospital recently.
In February 2008, an 8-year-old third grade student died from meningitis at Brookhaven Elementary School. School and county health officials then stressed that only a few people were at risk of contracting the disease and no further cases were reported.
