Superbug identified in DeKalb school
MRSA diagnosed in county student; physician to hold town hall
by Andy Phelan
andy@dekalbchamp.com
Tips to protect yourself from MRSA infection
Wash your hands frequently, preferably with 60 percent alcohol-based solution.
Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, sheets, razors, clothing and athletic gear.
Change you hand and bath towels frequently.
Keep your cuts and abrasions clean and covered with sterile, dry bandages. |
DeKalb County School officials have confirmed a student has been diagnosed with MRSA or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a virulent strain staph infection that can cause serious infection or even death.
School officials would not indicate which school reported the case, but said the school was sanitized and parents notified. A health alert about the super bug was posted on the school system’s Web site.
MRSA, which usually manifests itself in boils and skin irritations, does not respond to typical antibiotics. It’s been reported so far in more than 20 students in Atlanta, Cobb, Clayton and Henry county schools.
Two weeks ago, Ashton Bonds, a 17-year-old senior at Staunton River High School in Moneta, Va., died after fighting MRSA for a week.
According to DeKalb Medical Center, traditionally MRSA was once considered a threat only to patients in hospitals and clinics.
“The current epidemic is not the institutional bug that has been around for 30 years,” said DeKalb Medical Infectious Disease Specialist Robin Dretler. “It is a newer pathogen in the public at large that was first identified in 1999, and has been steadily spreading throughout the community.”
Robert Moseley, assistant superintendent for support services, said there have been about 10 cases of staphylococcus, a more common form of bacteria, reported recently but just one of MRSA.
“We’re being vigilant about it and ramping up our response protocol,” said Moseley. “What we’re hearing is if you take some universal and common-sense hygiene precautions, you can deal with it.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said up to 30 percent of people carry staph bacteria in their bodies. Dretler said staph infections are always a concern, but MRSA is an “aggressive” strain that carries a “much graver risk” of becoming serious.
But last week testifying on Capitol Hill, CDC chief Julie Gerberding said while MRSA might be the “cockroach of bacteria” it isn’t anything to panic about.
It isn’t something “floating around in the air,” she said. “Soap and water is the cheapest intervention we have, and one of the most effective,” she told a House Committee. Washing your hands regularly and covering up cuts goes a long way to protect people, she said.
According to Dretler, up to two-thirds of those infected with MRSA have no way of knowing they are infected. A third exhibit symptoms such as unexpected outbreaks of acne, boils, skin irritations similar to “spider bites.”
Dretler will answer questions about MRSA during a town hall forum at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15 at the DeKalb Medical Women’s & Surgery Center Auditorium, 2701 North Decatur Road in Decatur. For more information, please call 404-501-WELL.
For more on MRSA, go to DeKalb schools or The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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