Collinsville, Oklahoma
November 8, 2007
Collinsville Schools Information On MRSA Staph Infections
Proactive Steps
Disinfecting Continues
Hand Washing Increased
Most Cases Easily Prevented And/Or Treated
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Pharmacists: Tharyn Nachtigall & Sherri Clark

This chart (and those below) are a sample of the informations briefed by the school nurses to all of the Collinsville Middle School students and teachers at an assembly Thursday morning (Nov. 8th, 2007).
In response to an increase in reported cases in local schools and the Tulsa media, the following information was provided today for distribution to Collinsville parents and students.
Collinsville Public Schools Protect Our Children At School And Home

Dear Family,
Staph infection kills Virginia teen (Associated Press, Oct. 17, 2007)
Six football players diagnosed with MRSA (Winston-Salem Journal, Oct. 18. 2007)
Athlete at University of Washington-Parkside diagnosed with a staph infection. (Racine Journal Times, October 19, 2007)

You may have seen these recent headlines regarding MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) outbreaks in the education environment. Ina recent podcast held by the Center for Disese Control, MRSA is described as a type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus or simply "staph" that is resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics. While staph infections have been around for a long time, most people who got MRSA infections were in the hospital or other healthcare setting, But over the past several years, MRSA has emerged in the community as one of the most common skin infections. These infections may appear as small pustules or boils, which are often red, swollen, painful, or have pus associated with them. They commonly occur at sites of visible skin trauma, such as cuts or abrasions, or can occur at sites commonly covered by hair on the body, like the back of the neck, groin, buttock, armpit or the bearded area of men.

We would like to assure you that Collinsville Public School cares about students and is taking proactive steps to minimize risk of a MRSA outbreak. Working closely with our Janitorial-Sanitation supplier, Am San, we are providing each classroom with Purell Handsanitizers as well as a disinfectant spray, HDQC2. This disinfectant has all the required kill claims for MRSA as well as many other disinfectant claims.

There are also steps you can take at home to minimize risk, Please read (below) for more information. Together, we can keep our children safe. If you have questions, please contact School Nurse, Kim Loftin 371-4125, School Nurse Connie Bettega 371-1773, or Asst. Supt. Terry Due 371-2326.

Should your child have a doctor's diagnosis of MRSA, please report that to one of the above listed numbers immediately.

With regards,
Collinsville Schools Administration

Simple Steps to Minimize Risk
of a MRSA Infection

(from 10/23/07 CDC MRSA Podcast)

Practice good hygiene
If you participate in activities where there is frequent skin-to-skin contact, like exercise or sports, you should shower immediately after participating in those activities.

Wash Your Hands Often and Correctly
This includes keeping your hands clean by washing with soap and water regularly or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

  • Wash your hands with soap and water anytime they are visibly soiled.
  • Wet your hands with water (this helps the soap penetrate better for better efficiency)
  • Apply enough soap and work into a lather, making sure to clean the backs of your hands and around/under your fingernails - most people miss these two areas.
  • Lather for at least 20 seconds (sing "Happy Birthday" or the "A-B-C Song")
  • Rince thoroughly and dry with a paper towel.
  • Use a paper towel to turn off the water faucet. This prevents picking up any new germs on your just cleaned hands.

Use Bandages
Cover skin cuts and abrasions to prevent them from being infected. They should be covered by clean, dry bandgages until healed.

Don't Share Personal Items
Everyone should avoid sharing personal items that come into direct with bare skin, such as towels and razors.

Use a Towel on Exercise Equipment
Barrier-like clothing or a towel should also be used between skin and shared equipment like weight-training benches.

Frequently Clean High Touch Surfaces
High touch surfaces or surfaces that you frequently contact with your hands should be kept clean and other surfaces that might come into direct contact with people's skin should be cleaned routinely.

Signs & Symptoms
Staph infections, including MRSA, generally start as small red bumps that resemble pimples, boils, or spider bites. These can quickly turn into deep, painful abcesses that require surgical draining. Sometimes the bacteria remain confined to the skin and burrow deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatning infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves, and lungs. Visit
www.mayoclinic.com for more information on staph infection.

Sample of Other Recent Local Media Coverage