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Two student athletes contract staph infections
(by Maggie Fazeli Fard - October 24, 2007)
Staph infections
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Symptoms:
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Staph infections, including MRSA, generally start as small red bumps that resemble pimples, boils or spider bites. These can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses that require surgical draining. If untreated, the infection can spread, causing potentially life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the blood stream, heart valves and lungs.
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Causes:
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Unnecessary antibiotic use in humans, antibiotics in food and water and germ mutation contribute to the proliferation of staph bacteria.
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Spread:
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Staph bacteria are spread through direct contact with infected skin or surfaces.
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Prevention:
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Proper hygiene is the key to prevention: wash hands thoroughly and regularly, don’t share personal items, keep cuts and wounds covered, and get tested at the sign of a skin infection.
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Source: Mayo Clinic
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The faculty and student body of Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale are on alert after two student athletes were diagnosed with staph infections last week.
According to a letter from Principal Barbara Sapienza to parents on Oct. 19, one student required hospitalization for an infection of the skin on one of his legs. Another student was diagnosed with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), also known as the “superbug” because of its resistance to antibiotics. The first student was treated with antibiotics and cleared to return to school. The second was permitted to return to school as long as the wound is clean and covered; Sapienza said the wound is in an area that is covered by the student’s clothing.
Sapienza confirmed on Oct. 23 that the students, both of whom are athletes at PVHS, have returned to school. The report of the PVHS infections came in amidst numerous reports of staph-related deaths and illnesses that have been spreading throughout the country in recent weeks.
“There was certainly concern,” said Sapienza of the school’s reaction to the reports. “Fortunately, if something is identified early, it can be treated.”
Sapienza said that while there was concern among students, teachers, administrators and parents, there was never panic. Instead, she said, the administration took quick steps to make the school safe for everyone inside and has devised a two-part prevention plan: sanitation and education.
Starting on Oct. 19, the school implemented a new cleaning program involving the disinfecting of all locker rooms, bathrooms, doorknobs, lockers, handrails and other surfaces with a 10 percent bleach solution.
Students have also been advised to regularly clean their athletic and physical education wear using color-safe bleach in hot water over 100 degrees. Additionally, students have been advised to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly, and to seek medical assistance from the school nurse or a family doctor if they have a cut or open wound.
“That is all ongoing,” said Sapienza of the regimen. “It is our new protocol for cleaning and education. It’s all about education.”
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