Jan 17, 2008
School physician says disease is treatable
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Student with rare staph strain returns to school
After cases in many nearby towns, the Katonah-Lewisboro School District has received its first case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as MRSA, a rare and potentially life-threatening form of staph. Despite its reputation and high-profile coverage in the media, school officials emphasized that the disease is not a cause for alarm.
“This is not an epidemic, this is not a killer bug, this is entirely treatable, and you’ve just got to wash your hands,” said Dr. Louis Corsaro of the Katonah Medical Group, the district’s school physician. “The press has made MRSA into a killer bug. It’s not a killer bug; it’s an entirely treatable issue, it just needs attention.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Roelle told The Ledger that the student who contracted the disease, a middle school student, was already back in school on Tuesday.
A common infection
Staphylococcus bacteria are common, living on the skin of about 25% to 30% of the population, according to Dr. Corsaro. Problems occur only when the bacteria enter a cut or scratch, where they can cause infection in the form of red, swollen skin, with pus or other liquid. More severe cases can cause pneumonia, blood stream infections or serious infections.
MRSA received its reputation because it is a strain of staph that does not respond to the normal antibiotics used to treat staph infections. Dr. Corsaro said this does not mean it isn’t treatable.
“The kids can return to school if they’re on therapy. There’s been staph in every single school in the entire area at one time or another. We continue to see it pretty much weekly, particularly in athletes,” he said of the more common staph infection, not MRSA.
Athletes, especially wrestlers, are more susceptible to the bacteria because they are often in close contact with each other and are more likely to develop scratches and cuts. Dr. Corsaro said the best way to prevent staph infections was to practice good hygiene.
The school district sent a letter to parents offering suggestions for preventing infections. Most were basic hygiene — frequent hand washing with soap or hand sanitizers, not sharing personal items like razors, towels and deodorant, showering with soap after every practice, keeping wounds covered, and washing clothes frequently.
The district is also planning to clean and disinfect areas that would be vulnerable to bacteria, and to provide hand sanitizers for use in the school buildings.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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