IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE
MRSA INFECTION

For many years, health-care facilities have been caring for individuals with hospital acquired MRSA infections. However, MRSA infections are now occurring quite frequently across the country (not just Knox County) in healthy individuals with no history of either hospital or long-term care stays. Because of this, we are sending this informational letter home to all families within our school system, as we need you assistance in controlling this nasty bug.

MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a type of staph that is resistant to most antibiotics. It causes a skin infection that may look like a pimple, a boil, or even a spider bite. Skin infections caused by staph may be red, swollen, painful, or have pusldrainage. These types of infections occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and long-term care facilities. However, Community-associated MRSA is now causing illness in persons outside of health-care settings at an increasing rate. Community-associated infections are occurring in persons who have not had a history of health-care admissions or had a recent procedure.

Hospitals in our region have reported a drastic increase in the number of patients with Community-associated MRSA. Hospitals are reporting school-aged children with Community-associated MRSA, as well as various other groups - all of which are non-health care setting related.

Community-associated MRSA can be prevented by simple hygiene, cleaning of equipment before and after each use, not sharing equipment or other personal items, keeping locker and shower rooms clean, and keeping soap dispensers full. In addition, spread can be reduced by hand washing, keeping all cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage, not touching other people's cuts and bandages, and not sharing personal items. Proper hygiene, as is true with most contagious diseases, is the key.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your child's school nurse or the local health department.