Staph Infections (Community Acquired-Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus [CA-MRSA])

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. A mild infection may look like a pimple or a boil and can be red, swollen, and painful or have pus or other drainage and is usually mildly infectious and easily treated. A more serious infection may lead to pneumonia, a bloodstream infection, or a surgical wound infection.

Approximately 25-30 percent of healthy people may carry staph aureus, and only 1 percent carry MRSA. Healthy people often carry staph bacteria on the skin or in the nose; 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 well and caring for wounds properly.

Fairfax County Public Schools continues to work with the Fairfax County Health Department to prevent the spread of MRSA in the school setting and to review prevention and control protocols already in place. Additionally, schools are encouraged to work with school health nurses and with the Health Department Communicable Disease-Epidemiology Unit to implement prevention measures and to appropriately manage cases if they occur.

FCPS Efforts in Addressing CA-MRSA

Schools are cleaned regularly with an EPA-registered broad spectrum microorganism-killing solution that is effective against staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA. The protocols for the cleaning of facilities are monitored and evaluated regularly. MRSA is resistant to several classes of antibiotics, not to disinfectants. Therefore, routine cleaning with an EPA-registered cleaner or bleach solution (one part bleach to nine parts water) is all that is recommended. Because the bacteria live on the skin, they may be reintroduced into any environment at any time. Therefore, effective hand washing and wound care remain the primary means of preventing staph infections. Except under extraordinary circumstances, school closure would not be warranted following the identification of a MRSA case in the school setting. Routine sanitation practices are normally sufficient to address MRSA contamination of surfaces and materials in such instances.

Some of 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 care programs, and protocols are reviewed and modified regularly as new information becomes available.

The certified athletic trainers along with the athletic staff are responsible for administering the FCPS athletic infectious disease prevention strategies, educating FCPS student athletes, and monitoring the well-being of FCPS student athletes.
Specifically:

FCPS certified athletic trainers provide information to all athletes specific to CA-MRSA during the athlete meetings at the beginning of each season. In these sessions, certified athletic trainers stress:

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

Certified athletic trainers provide a brief educational session to all student athletes prior to each season that includes a video that specifically outlines concerns about MRSA. The FCPS athletic training program includes information on MRSA to be provided to the parents of any student athlete who is referred to a physician when staph is suspected.

Practical Advice for Parents

Personal hygiene is the best defense against staph infection.

The key ways to prevent the spread of staph bacteria are through frequent and thorough hand washing and through proper wound care. Hands should be washed after toileting, before eating, and before and after changing bandages. Additionally, avoid sharing razors, towels, bars of soap, or other objects that could pass bacteria from one person’s skin to another’s.

Wounds should be cleaned and covered with bandages. Those wounds that do not heal properly or have unusual amounts of drainage or pus need medical attention. MRSA can be diagnosed only through a laboratory test. Health care professionals need to be aware and look closely for MRSA because prognosis is improved if appropriate treatment is started early.

MRSA infections can be treated. Treatment depends on the site and severity of the infection. Not all infections require oral antibiotics. Early detection and medical care are paramount to the success of MRSA treatment

If you have any questions about your condition, be sure to ask your doctor.

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