School Washed In MRSA Scare
Krueger Middle School student has a condition that may be related to the ‘superbug.’ Officials say there is no danger

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Workers from Servpro of La Porte County spent much of Sunday cleaning Krueger Middle School after a suspected case of methicillin-resistant staphyloccoccus was reported.

Betsy Kohn, spokeswoman for Michigan City Area Schools, said late Monday afternoon school officials learned a student at Krueger Middle School had a condition that may be related to MRSA.

Because of that, the school building was cleaned thoroughly with a bleach solution over the weekend.

Michigan City Area Schools issued a prepared statement Monday.

"The La Porte County Health Department was contacted immediately by the Michigan City Area Schools' director of nursing, and MCAS was assured there is no danger to any students or staff.

"District administrators met with health department officials on Monday afternoon and they again reassured us that it is not an emergency situation."

There is a growing concern about MRSA nationwide. Earlier this year, an athlete at a high school in Virginia died from the disease. And on Oct. 14, a 12-year-old Brooklyn boy died of the so-called "superbug."

Last week, Robert Falls, MCAS athletic director, said locker rooms are disinfected daily.

According to the health department, MRSA is spread by skin-to-skin contact or by skin-to-object contact. In addition to locker rooms, custodians at Michigan City Area Schools disinfect all restrooms.

According to Kohn, an informational letter about MRSA will be sent home with students today.

The Indiana State Department of Health describes MRSA as staph bacteria that has developed an immunity to the first lines of antibiotics, those related to penicillin.

Most cases of MRSA can be treated. The majority of patients recover without further incident from MRSA, but a few cases, among those with compromised immune systems, could suffer serious and potentially deadly complications.

MRSA is not a reportable disease like flu or AIDS.

According to the health department, no one has an accurate figure or even a good guess about the number of cases of MRSA in the area or in the state.



Contact Deborah Sederberg at dsederberg@thenewsdispatch.com.

‘They acted like it was no big deal’
10/30/2007, 12:46 pm
Comment on this story

Danielle Gingerich, 1-866-362-2167 Ext. 13860, dgingerich@heraldargus.com


Some parents upset that they weren’t notified of cases of potentially deadly infection at local schools

LA PORTE -- Michelle Cygan was upset Monday that La Porte Community School Corp. officials failed to notify parents that several students had contracted a potentially fatal strain of staphylococcus bacteria.

“It just kind of irked me that no one is getting information out,” Cygan, who has three children at Riley Elementary School, told The La Porte County Herald-Argus. “I was mad.”

La Porte Community School Corp. Superintendent Jim Dermody confirmed Monday that a La Porte High School student contracted methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) sometime last week. He would not disclose the student’s name or age.

An infection was also confirmed Friday at Krueger Middle School in Michigan City, Betsy Kohn, communication director for Michigan City Area Schools, told The Herald-Argus this morning. That student’s name and age also were not disclosed.

Although only rarely fatal and easily preventable, about 19,000 people die from MRSA each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most recently, a Virginia student died after contracting the infection.

Responding to criticism from some parents, Dermody said the proper procedures were followed in the wake of the discovery of the infected student, and that school officials are maintaining “a heightened level of awareness.”

Dermody said information on the bacteria is available on the corporation’s Web site (www.lpcsc.k12.in.us) by clicking on “Corporation News” in the page’s upper right-hand corner.

Still, some parents believe the corporation’s decision not to notify parents immediately of the situation created an atmosphere in which speculation was able to run rampant and a certain degree of panic ensued.

“Why weren’t parents notified?” Lisa Mowbray, who has one child at La Porte High School and another at Kesling Middle School, asked The Herald-Argus Monday. “They acted like it was no big deal.”

Although a school employee told Mowbray that signs had been posted around La Porte High School, Mowbray felt that wasn’t enough.

“If the kids aren’t paying attention, they aren’t telling the parents,” she said.

La Porte High School freshman Anthony Finlay agreed.

“I was basically shocked that all the teachers, they aren’t as upfront about it,” he told The Herald-Argus after school Monday. “It should be taken more seriously since it could kill people.”

Krueger was thoroughly cleaned over the weekend as a precaution. Dermody said all La Porte schools are cleaned every day.

Kohn said letters were being sent today to parents of Michigan City schools students with information on the infection and how to prevent it. Parents were not notified Friday, she said, because the case was confirmed too late in the day and because the La Porte County Health Department advised school officials that the situation was not an emergency and that parents should not be notified until health department officials had a chance to review the case.

“We hope by sending information to everybody, we can quell the rumors,” she said.

Official: MCAS Handled Health Worry Well

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Michigan City Area Schools officials handled a suspected MRSA case exactly as it should have been handled.

That's according to Joanne Hardacker, La Porte County Health Department director of nursing.

It was late afternoon Friday when Krueger Middle School staff learned a student might have contracted a methicillin-resistant staph infection.

"Their attitude was, 'Let's get ahead of the bar'," Hardacker said.

The school corporation hired Serv Pro of La Porte County to clean the building with a bleach solution, the method recommended by the Indiana State Health Department.

On Tuesday morning, Hardacker said she didn't believe the MRSA case had been confirmed.

"It is not a reportable disease," she said.

It is entirely possible the health department would not be aware of MRSA in the county.

The school corporation, however, asked for Hardacker's advice.

"(School officials) have been very transparent with us," Hardacker said. "I feel comfortable with the way the situation was handled.

"This is not an emergency."

MRSA has been in the news because a boy in Virginia and another from Brooklyn, N.Y. died after being infected with the bacteria.

The Journal of the American Medical Association said MRSA cases have been on the rise, probably because certain antibiotics, including penicillin and its relatives, have been overprescribed or misused by patients who fail to take the entire dosage.

"But it's not an epidemic," Hardacker said. "I wouldn't even call it an outbreak" in the local area.

"I would consult the state (department of health) if, say, three kids from a wrestling team were infected," she said. "But not for three or four isolated incidences."

While MRSA is resistant to penicillin-related antibiotics, it will respond to other antibiotics, health officials say.

"We have a perceived emergency with MRSA, not a real emergency. We also have a lot of unsubstantiated rumors," Hardacker said. "Our job is to protect the health of the general public."

She said no one should panic because of the suspected case of MRSA.

"It is inappropriate to close schools down just because one student has one sore," she said.

What is appropriate, she said, is careful personal hygiene, including the thorough hand washing as often as possible.

The same advice comes from Jenene Pulaski, infection control nurse at St. Anthony Memorial.

"Hand sanitizers are good when you don't have access to soap and water," she said, "but they're not substitutes for hand washing."



Contact Deborah Sederberg at dsederberg@thenewsdispatch.com.

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=42884.96

MRSA In Schools
MCAS Takes Quick Step To Confront Disease

Editorial

There are some who dismiss all the talk about methicillin-resistant staphylococcus as nothing more than an overblown media frenzy. It isn't.

It's true that many people carry MRSA bacteria on their bodies but aren't affected by it. That doesn't minimize the impact of the bacteria to those who are susceptible to it. In Virginia, a high school athlete contracted MRSA and died earlier this year, and, earlier this month, a boy in Brooklyn, N.Y., died after contracting a MRSA bacteria infection.

According to the Indiana State Department of Health, MRSA is a staph bacteria that has developed an immunity to the first line of antibiotics, which is a regimen of treatment using medicine related to penicillin.

In dealing with a bacteria like this, it is better to be safe than sorry. That is how Michigan City Area Schools reacted when a suspected case of MRSA was reported at Krueger Middle School. This past weekend, workers from Servpro in Michigan City disinfected the school. MCAS spokeswoman Betsy Kohn said that once school officials learned of the suspected case, the decision was made to thoroughly clean the building with a bleach solution.

"The La Porte County Health Department was contacted immediately by the Michigan City Area Schools' director of nursing, and MCAS was assured there is no danger to any students or staff," said Kohn.

After the building was cleaned, school and county health department administrators met to review the procedures that had taken place before issuing a statement to reassure parents that the building was safe. A letter about the incident was sent home with students on Tuesday.

Most incidents of MRSA are treatable and, with proper hygiene, it can be prevented. Health officials said people are infected through skin-to-skin contact or by skin-to-object contact. The latter is the reason for paying close attention to common areas like locker rooms for athletes and restrooms and cafeterias.

MRSA has not been concocted by the media. It is a very real affliction that deserves to be taken seriously. When it comes to public health - especially the health of our children - it is best for schools to act pre-emptively.

Officials Speak Of MRSA Concerns
Liz Claiborne closure, cleaning of school lead to health department releasing statements.

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

LA PORTE - The La Porte County Health Department is responding to the Liz Claiborne closure and other recent incidents in the area of suspected MRSA - methicillin-resistant staph aureus or other infections.

"The La Porte County Health Department and the Indiana State Department of Health are investigating inquiries regarding a store employee with a possible MRSA infection. No MRSA infection has been confirmed," the statement said.

Officials from Liz Claiborne's corporate office in New York City said merchandise will be removed from the store's shelves and will be destroyed. The store will be completely disinfected before it reopens.

The local store remained closed Thursday evening.

Last week, Michigan City Area Schools officials hired Servpro, a cleaning service, to do an exhaustive cleaning of Krueger Middle School after a student reportedly had an infection. It was not known if it is MRSA.

"Methicillin-resistant staph aureus, otherwise known as MRSA, is not a new disease and has been present in Indiana for years," health department officials wrote in the Thursday news release.

"It is a type of bacteria which has developed resistance to several antibiotics and thus making it more difficult to treat. Most MRSA infections are skin infections, however, and are able to be treated with appropriate antibiotics. Rarely, if MRSA enters the blood stream or a major body organ, it can produce a serious and even fatal infection."

Although most antibiotics related to penicillin are not effective with MRSA, other antibiotics are available and effective.

The deaths of two athletes from MRSA, one in Virginia and one in Brooklyn, N.Y., have received nationwide attention.

Because MRSA is not a reportable disease, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are having a difficult time knowing whether its numbers are up. MRSA is most often found in nursing homes and in individuals whose immune systems are compromised.

"We understand the residents of La Porte County may be apprehensive, but there is no reason to believe anyone in the community is at increased risk," said Paul Trost, health department administrator.

According to the health department, MRSA can be spread by direct skin contact with an infected person. Trost said pus or drainage is very infectious. He also said the disease can be spread by contact with contaminated objects or surfaces such as towels, razors, soap, deodorant, bedding, clothes, wound bandages, athletic equipment and benches, or by picking at wounds or skin lesions or by poor hand hygiene.

Trost said the best advice is the simplest: Frequent and appropriate hand hygiene with soapy water, and do not share personal hygiene items.

He also said the disease can be limited through effective wound care by washing it thoroughly with soap and hot water, and routinely cleaning and sanitizing areas where there is frequent direct skin contact.

"Prompt medical attention is essential if you develop an infection that turns red, is swollen, painful, warm or draining," Trost said.

For more information, call the La Porte County Health Department at (219) 326-6808, Ext. 200.

Contact Deborah Sederberg at dsederberg@thenewsdispatch.com.

Quick, everyone, PANIC!!!

Do both, if you have 'em.

Love doing it!

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=41371.04

Elston Cleaned After MRSA Worries
About 20 extra staff members assist with cleansing of entire facility after report of possible infection.

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

Elston Middle School had a thorough cleaning Tuesday night because someone who may have had MRSA has been in the building.

To do the job, plant planning officials called in about 20 extra staff members for the possibility of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in the facility.

All of Elston Middle School, including classrooms, gymnasiums, locker rooms, rest rooms, the cafeteria, the auditorium and hallways, were being cleaned.

The disinfecting did not extend to the AK Smith Area Career Center.

Citing privacy issues, Betsy Kohn, director of community relations for the Michigan City Area Schools, said she could not disclose whether the person was a student, a staff member or visitor.

She said no MRSA diagnosis has been confirmed.

"We met with the staff and consulted with the (La Porte County) Health Department," she said.

Officials said a letter discussing the matter will be going home to parents today. The letter includes information on how to avoid the disease.

In October, MCAS hired a local cleaning company to clean Krueger Middle School over a weekend, again because someone might have had MRSA.

Last week officials from the Liz Claiborne Outlet Store at Lighthouse announced they would be closing the store because a store employee had some kind of infection, not confirmed to be MRSA. The merchandise was later destroyed, although that was due to the cleaning, officials said.

According to the Indiana State Health Department, most people carry staph bacteria on their skin. Staph can cause infections which can be treated with antibiotics. MRSA is a strain of staph that has developed an immunity to first-line antibiotics, those related to penicillin.

Even the resistant strain can be treated with other antibiotics, Joanne Hardacker, director of nursing for the La Porte County Health Department, has told The News-Dispatch. Most staph infections manifest themselves as boils or other outbreaks on the skin.

It is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact or by contact with dirty bandages or other surfaces contaminated with drainage from the wound of an infected person.

The primary way to prevent the spread of MRSA is frequent and thorough hand washing, officials said. To that end, it is wise to keep fingernails short and well groomed. Also, do not trade personal objects such as razors, soap or towels.

"Athletic equipment in the MCAS are disinfected daily," Kohn said. Athletic director Robert Falls said that practice has been in effect for a long time.

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=45037.83

MRSA Awareness
Suspected Local Cases Cause Concern

Editorial

Until a few weeks ago, many people had never heard of methicillin-resistant staphyloccus aureus. The bacteria, commonly referred to as MRSA, now seems to be everywhere and it is creating an unnecessary panic.

The consequence of MRSA should not be discounted because it can kill people. In fact, two students - one in Virginia and one in New York - have died from the infection. It's more commonly seen in health care facilities, where it is particularly devastating to people with weakened immune systems.

Because suspected cases of MRSA have been reported at Krueger and Elston middle schools, and at the Liz Claiborne Outlet Store at Lighthouse Place, the bacteria has gotten a lot of attention in Michigan City.

It's important to remember that in each instance, there has been no confirmation of MRSA. Steps that have been taken in each instance to disinfect the buildings.

The Indiana State Department of Health points out that most people carry staph bacteria on their skin, but that most people are not affected by it. However, when people have an open wound, a staph infection is possible. It is usually spread by person-to-person contact, although the MRSA bacteria can survive on surfaces and fabric.

State officials also said that MRSA is a specific strain of staph that has developed an immunity to penicillin antibiotics, the drug normally used to treat infections. Other antibiotics unrelated to penicillin can be used to treat MRSA.

Still, the best treatment is prevention, foremost of which is frequent hand washing, and frequent cleaning of public areas such as restrooms, cafeterias and other public buildings.

MRSA is an infection to be wary of, but it's not something over which people should panic. The proper steps have been taken by the school system and managers at Liz Claiborne. There is no reason for anyone to think there is an epidemic in our midst.

____________________________________________________

Our Opinion
The Issue: Clean-ups at two middle schools and a store at Lighthouse Place have made people more aware of MRSA.

Our Opinion: MRSA was not confirmed at any of the three sites, but this virulent bacteria does exist in many places. Precautions such as hand washing and avoiding contact with those infected will be sufficient for most people. There is no reason to panic.

I understand that this in not an epidemic, but as parents it is our responsibilty to be proactive about things like this. Proper hygiene is key, but sometimes that is not good enough.
My daughter is in first grade in MCAS this year. I have been concerned every day I drop her off at school, even before there was all this talk of MRSA.
She has so many serious food allergies that to date she has not been able to receive her MMR, Chicken Pox or Flu Vaccines. She has such severe eczema that her immune system is weakend quite often due to flare ups. Those flare ups can also cause her dry skin to crack. Her hygiene is excellent, but that doesn't make me feel any better. Can I expect her to not have any physical contact with other kids at school? No. Plus MRSA can survive on hard surfaces as well as fabric.
It's kind of like driving...you can only control what you do behind the wheel. No one knows what is going on in the vehicles that surround you on the street. My daughter can wash her hands 30 times a day, but what about the other 450 kids in her school?

All I'm asking right now is to be told the truth about the infections that have been found in these two schools. I want to know what all the schools are doing to keep the classrooms, lunchrooms, and bathrooms sanitary.

Call me crazy...tell me I'm panicking, whatever.