Staph Case Causes Scrub-Down at Berner

Berner Middle School will be sanitized over the weekend, following the disclosure that a student has been diagnosed with staph.

In a letter to parents, officials say  they learned late Friday the student has Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.

This type of staph bacteria, which is only carried by 1 percent of the population, ican be resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics, according to information from Nassau County Health officials, the district provided in the letter. 

It can be spread by close skin-to-skin contact, openings in the skin such as cuts or abrasions, contaminated items and surfaces as well as crowded living conditions and poor hygiene.

Health officials urge anyone who thinks they might have a skin infection to contact their doctor immediately. Most MRSA and other staph infections are treatable.

MRSA may begin as a reddened area that can look like a pimple or boil.  This area may become red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage.

The single most effective way to prevent the infection is  hand washing.

Health officials also urge the following steps:

• Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
• Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.
• Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.

School District officials say they're following direction and protocols from the Nassau County Health Department and  are "thoroughly sanitizing all Berner classrooms and facilities."