School Leaders Respond to Case of MRSA at Adams

Officials at in Rochester Hills are cautioning parents this week about a confirmed case of a bacterial skin infection at the school.

"In our ongoing effort to provide accurate information about issues related to student health and safety, I am writing to inform you that there has been a confirmed case of MRSA at Adams," principal Kevin Cumming wrote in a letter to parents on Thursday.

"The student is under a doctor’s care and the custodial staff at Adams is following health department guidelines to clean the classroom."

According to the Oakland County Health Department, MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, is a bacteria that is resistant to common antibiotics. It is mostly seen in hospitals or in healthcare or correctional facilities. It is spread by skin-to-skin contact or through cuts or abrasions in the skin; it is also spread through poor hygiene. 

MRSA causes skin infections that "look like a pimple or boil and can be red, swollen, painful or have pus or other drainage," according to a description in a fact sheet produced by the health department. 

Serious infections can cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections or surgical would infections. It is treatable through antibiotics and preventable through hand-washing and by covering cuts with bandages.

"The best precaution is to take measures that reduce the spread of bacteria including good hand washing, not sharing personal items and keeping wounds covered," Cumming wrote to parents. "We urge parents to reinforce these measures with their students at home."

More information on MRSA is included in a brochure attached to this story.