Wootton student treated for MRSA

Community-acquired staph infection an increasing problem, health professionals say

MRSA has been increasing over the past few years in the community, according to medical professionals at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. Commonly known for infecting hospital patients, community-acquired MRSA is distinct from the type commonly treated in hospitals, said Michael Sauri, an infectious disease consultant at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.

‘‘This is a community problem. It’s community-based and it’s community-spread,” Sauri said. ‘‘Any actions that are going to help prevent this have to be taken at the community level.”

The community-acquired type of staph infection is common in young people, Sauri said. Since the disease is often contracted via skin-to-skin contact, areas like schools where large numbers of people, especially athletes, are in close contact with each other are often breeding grounds for community-acquired MRSA, Sauri said.

The Wootton student’s doctor had no indication as to where the disease could have been contracted, said Doran, who has spoken with the student’s family.

‘‘It could have been at school, it could have been at an after-school activity, it could have been outside the school, it could have been in the home,” Doran said. ‘‘There’s nothing that gave the doctor a clue.”

Concerns about MRSA in Montgomery County Public Schools were first spurred in October when more than two-dozen cases were reported in the school system. As of Feb. 11, there had been 56 cases of MRSA reported in MCPS students, most of whom have fully recovered. Two of those cases continued to be treated, according to Mary Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Merry King, a special education teacher at Hoover Middle School, died of the infection in December.

MRSA is not reported in Maryland hospitals, and cases of MRSA in schools often come to light because those cases are documented, Anderson said.

‘‘MRSA is out there in the community, and not just in schools,” Anderson said. ‘‘We’re hearing about it through the schools because parents are letting the school folks know.”

The Wootton case is the first known case at the school, according Doran’s letter. The student was absent from school Feb. 11 and returned to school Feb. 13; schools were closed Feb. 12, Doran said.

Doran said he received confirmation that the student was cleared medically to attend school. The school building is being disinfected as a precautionary measure.

‘‘We’ve made sure that classrooms he was in were doubly cleaned, and focused on those rooms even more than the rest of the school,” Doran said.

The school is sharing information about MRSA with the school community and encouraging students to take precautions.

Skin infections resulting from staph bacteria can resemble a pimple or boil and can be red, swollen or painful. Community-acquired MRSA infections can be successfully treated with certain types of antibiotics, but health professionals stress that early detection is key to treating the disease successfully.

‘‘It does have a significant increase in virulence if you delay too long,” Sauri said.

Montgomery County Public Schools have encouraged students and parents to report suspicious cuts or wounds.

Health officials also emphasize prevention. Hand washing, keeping lesions clean and covered, and avoiding sharing personal items are effective methods of warding off MRSA.

‘‘Good hygiene is the best prevention, and we have seen an increase in students [at Wootton] washing their hands,” Doran said. ‘‘I think they’ve gotten the message.”