Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District administrators and the Manalapan health officer have confirmed that a staph infection was recently diagnosed in a child at the Milford Brook School, but they said it was not the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria.
MRSA has gained attention in recent weeks because a government report indicated that almost 100,000 Americans contract potentially deadly staph infections every year. MRSA skin infections are transmitted primarily by skin-to-skin contact and contact with surfaces that have come into contact with someone else’s infection.
Manalapan-Englishtown Superintendent of Schools John Marciante and Manalapan health officer Dave Richardson both confirmed that one Milford Brook pupil had received a confirmed diagnosis of a staph infection from a doctor.
The Milford Brook School, Globar Terrace, educates children in grades one through three.
Marciante said two other students had been ill, but had not received a confirmed diagnosis of a staph infection from doctors. He said one of the other two students who became ill had shared a classroom with the child whose staph infection had been confirmed through medical testing.
Marciante said that after he contacted Richardson and apprised the health officer of the school’s confirmed and suspected infections, the proper precautionary and prophylactic measures were taken.
According to Marciante, the classrooms used by the three students and the common areas of the school such as the cafeteria and gymnasium were “washed down” according to a protocol established by Richardson.
Marciante said that in addition to posting pertinent information on the school district’s Internet Web site, a letter was sent home to parents of the pupils who were in the same classroom as the third student who took ill to inform them of the ongoing situation and to let them know precautionary measures were being taken.
“We knew the rumors were out there and we wanted to address them,” the superintendent said.
Although Richardson reiterated that the recent staph infections found in the Milford Brook School pupils are not the MRSA strain, he said people should not be surprised if MRSA is found in Manalapan, given the fact that it has surfaced in so many other places already.
Richardson said the public needs to know that even if the MRSA strain surfaces in Manalapan it can be treated. He said although it is not something that should be taken lightly, it should not become a source of undue anxiety for residents.
According to Richardson, although the MRSA strain shows a resistance to certain antibiotic drug treatments, it is treatable.
The health officer said it cannot be stressed enough that parents need to be vigilant in making sure they and their children wash their hands when using bathroom facilities and periodically throughout the day after touching objects or door knobs in common areas when they are out in public.
People are being encouraged to clean thoroughly after athletic workouts and contact with other players; to use alcoholbased hand sanitizes when soap and water are unavailable; to launder athletic uniforms and other athletic clothing in hot water and dry them in a hot dryer; to sanitize athletic equipment after use to avoid transmission of bacteria; to never share or borrow towels razors, soap, or any other personal items; and to be vigilant if you have an open wound to be sure to clean it well and keep it covered with a bandage that attaches to the skin on all sides.
Also last week, Marlboro Superintendent of Schools David Abbott wrote a letter to parents to advise them that district administrators had just been alerted to an unconfirmed case of MRSA in a Marlboro Early Learning Center student.
Abbott wrote, “Although the child became ill several weeks ago, this information was provided to the school district only after the child was completely recovered and provided the district with medical clearance to return to school. Last month, at our request, the district’s supplier of cleaning products provided us with a cleaning protocol meant to minimize the spread of MRSA as well as other bacteria.
“This protocol was immediately instituted. Bathrooms continue to be cleaned on a daily basis. Using appropriate disinfectants, the sanitizing of desktops, classroom furniture, door knobs, water fountains, and other school equipment has been increased to several times per week. Throughout the school day, our staff will continue to remind students to wash their hands thoroughly,” Abbott wrote.
Abbott asked parents to note several important points:
• While MRSA is staph bacteria that have become resistant to certain antibiotics (also referred to as a “superbug”), the bacteria are still treatable.
• The Centers for Disease Control has indicated that in almost all cases, it is not necessary to close schools because of an MRSA infection of a student, nor is it necessary to close school while areas are disinfected.
• Health agencies agree that the No. 1 way to protect yourself from being infected is to keep your hands clean by thoroughly washing with soap and water.