MRSA "Superbug" lands locally

Two students at Ballston Spa High School have had cases of MRSA since the start of school in September.

Terry Stortz, director of preventive health services of Saratoga County, said this bacteria is not carried in the air and students won’t get it by sitting in the classroom.

Stuart Williams, spokesperson for the school district, said they went forward with an education campaign once the second case was confirmed two weeks ago.

MRSA is a type of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria normally carried on the skin and in the nose of healthy people. Some staph bacteria are resistant to the class of antibiotics.

Williams said a letter was sent out to parents of high school students Wednesday informing them that they are working closely with the Saratoga County Health Department on treatment and prevention of further MRSA cases.

Williams said the district’s main focus is in the adjoined middle and high schools. He said the bacteria passed from skin to skin, so a double-cleaning of locker rooms and weight rooms have been started.

Stortz said that is a good method and other gyms, YMCAs and facilities like them should do the same. She said it is transmitted skin-to-skin or skin-to-surface.

“Each organization has its own process for cleaning,” Stortz said. “Double cleaning is a good rule to follow.”

She said hand washing is the primary way to prevent the spreading of the bacteria. Not sharing towels, razors or clothes is another way to combat it. Spraying machines after every use is also a good preventive measure.

“Our advice to schools is to have students bring gym clothes home every night to be washed,” Stortz said. “There should be no sharing of gym clothes or community bin of clothes.”

Stortz said Ballston Spa is doing all they can do and education is important.

“We are leaving the lights on 24 hours a day,” Williams said.

He said the bacteria grow faster in the dark and the strand can only survive for 24 hours.

“We’re not sure if the students got it at school but we are being proactive,” Williams said.

Williams said if parents are concerned about the possibility of their child having a staph infection to see their physician and get checked out.

Williams said the strand that killed someone in Virginia is different than the bacteria in the two cases at the high school.

Stortz said they periodically get reports from different organizations about MRSA, but recently there hasn’t been any. There are different strands and Stortz said they don’t yet know what type of MRSA the students have.

She said any boil or skin infection shouldn’t be overlooked and be vigilant about getting them checked out. She said right now children and teenagers are the only ones with the bacteria locally, but it can hit any age group.