MRSA In Schools

The news reports are full of reports of MRSA (methicillin resistant staph aureus) outbreaks in the nation’s school systems. The risks to students, teachers and staff are high if the spread of this resistant superbug is not checked. You can take steps to protect your student and yourself with some basic information.

Since the majority of children and young adults will participate in some sort of educational environment until the early twenties, it is imperative that parents be aware of the risks of MRSA Infections and how to deal with them these risks.

Community acquired MRSA can be transmitted from person to person through skin contact with an infected person, contact with contaminated surfaces and using contaminated personal items. MRSA can also be transmitted in a contaminated environment. Students who participate in athletic sports are at particular risk for MRSA infections including wrestling, volleyball, hockey and football. Shared athletic equipment is of special concern. Some colleges have reported MRSA infection outbreaks in residential dormitories. Although there are many recent news reports about these MRSA outbreaks, the fact is, there have been reports of incidences in the school setting for the last 5 years.

The protocols for how to handle MRSA outbreaks in schools vary from location to location, but generally, there is no requirement to report these incidents to the public health department. School systems will probably send letters home which describe what MRSA is and how it is transmitted. Schools may or may not choose to close the school and cancel events at their discretion. They may take this opportunity to educate students and staff about hand washing and wound care, send out cleaning crews to disinfect classrooms and high traffic areas. The current strategy is to boost the cleaning routine and hope for the best.

The real question is how do we know that the increased hygiene and sanitation efforts are sufficient to remove the risk. As they stand today, the procedures have not stemmed the tide of MRSA outbreak reports. It appears to be on a relentless rise, regardless of the educational efforts, hand washing, cleaning and sanitation procedures currently in use. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control warned that MRSA deaths could outnumber AIDS deaths in this country. It is interesting to note that methicillin resistant Staph aureus is not the only resistant superbug about which we should be concerned .

The safety of your child is paramount to you. Ask questions about the protocol if there is a MRSA outbreak in your school system. Is the method of sanitation aggressive, consistent, ongoing and certain to kill the MRSA organism? These are the questions we need to be asking the nation’s school and college boards.

Martin R Meyer has been providing and using odor removal chemicals for 30 years when he first started a cattery. In 1997 he left corporate America and 1999 he started OdorXit Products and hasn’t looked back. His latest product discovery OdorXit Prevent-ClO2 is available on the web where there is a huge amount of information at http://www.odorxit.com?clo2-general-information~ar101 Get additional information about protecting students from MRSA Outbreaks in Schools at http://www.odorxit.com?mrsa~ar101

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