General Information Regarding CA-MRSA

Staphylococcus Aureus ("staph") infections have been around for many years, causing mild to severe illness. CA-MRSA stands for Community Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, a form of staph infection that does not respond to routine treatment with some commonly-used antibiotics, although other antibiotics are effective. Mild infections may look like a pimple or boil and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage and are usually mildly infectious and easily treated More serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or surgical wound infections.

 

Approximately 25-30% of healthy people may carry staph and only 1% carry CA-MRSA. Staph bacteria are often carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people, most of the time these bacteria do not cause a problem. Staph is passed from person to person through direct contact with skin or through contact with contaminated items. Staph can enter the body through breaks in the skin and can sometimes cause infection. The most effective way to prevent staph infection is to practice proper hygiene, such as washing hands and caring for wounds properly.

 

FCPS Efforts in Addressing CA-MRSA

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been proactive with infectious disease control for many years. FCPS has been working with the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) Clinic/Public Health Nurse staff in the schools monitoring for all infectious diseases as well as staph infections (e.g., impetigo, staph aureus). FCPS works with FCHD to statistically monitor illnesses every day to look for trends in illnesses and determine when specific local responses to significant increases in illness are required.

Schools are cleaned regularly with a broad spectrum micro-organism killing solution that is effective against staph aureus, including MRSA. The protocols for cleaning of facilities are monitored and evaluated regularly, and adjustments made as required.  

The recent cases of MRSA in our surrounding area have involved students in athletic programs. Since 2002, the FCPS Athletic Training Program has proactively addressed the increase of MRSA throughout the nation. Each FCPS athletic program has a Certified Athletic Trainer in charge of the athletic health programs. Our prevention efforts have been in place for several years, and we are constantly reviewing our protocols and modifying our procedures as new science becomes available. The Certified Athletic Trainer along with the athletic staff are responsible for the administration of the FCPS athletic infectious disease prevention strategies, the education of student athletes, and monitoring the well being of FCPS student athletes.

 

Specifically:

 

  1. FCPS Certified Athletic Trainers provide information to all athletes specific to MRSA during the athlete meetings at the beginning of each season. Included in this session:

 

    1. Prevention strategies for staph and other communicable diseases.
    2. Importance of proper personal hygiene and clothes washing.
    3. Importance of bringing all questionable lesions to the attention of the certified athletic trainer immediately.

 

  1. Viewing and discussion of a video that specifically outlines concerns about MRSA. The FCPS Athletic Training Program includes the use of a cleansing product for wound care that contains 4% w/v chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) which specifically targets MRSA and provides a continuous action to kill MRSA on contact for 6 hours.

 

  1. All FCPS Certified Athletic Trainers have attended in-service training on CA-MRSA in each of the last three school years.

 

  1. The FCPS Athletic Training Program includes information on MRSA to be provided to parents of student athletes who are referred to a physician when staph is suspected.

 

  1. For the second year, this topic has been discussed at parents meetings at the start of each season. Included in this discussion is an explanation of the importance of all the “prevention strategies” athletes and parents should perform daily and information about what the school is doing to deter staph infections. Also included in these sessions is the “awareness” that MRSA is out there and recommendations that students and parents bring to the attention of the Certified Athletic Trainer immediately any questions they may have in this area.

 

Practical Advice for Parents

 

If you have further concerns or would like to know more, please contact: Office of Student Activities at 571-423-1260 or email Jon Almquist or the Office of Community Relations at 571-423-1200 or email Paul Regnier.