Im amazed that usually the school officials just keep on sweeping news like these under the rug
Health officials in Texas have been sounding the alarm about seeing more serious staph infections. But the disease is not tracked statewide.
The issue was thrust into the spotlight Monday, when Ashton Bonds, 17, a student at Staunton River High School in Bedford County, Va., died of a drug resistant form of staph called MRSA.
Fellow students organized a protest overnight Monday using text messages and social networking sites. They took Bedford County School Superintendent James Blevins on a tour of the school Tuesday to show him how unclean it is, particularly in the locker rooms.
The medical and athletic communities in Texas have been warning schools about staph infections for at least the last three years.
Already this school year, officials reported a handful of cases of staph infections at Carroll High School in Southlake. Lewisville ISD officials confirmed that Flower Mound High School also had an outbreak, although the number of cases was not available.
School locker rooms are a notorious breeding ground. Athletes in such sports as football, lacrosse and wrestling often have cuts or abrasions. A locker-room culture of sharing soap or towels, or in some cases, not showering at all, can spread the infection.
Dallas County health department officials said there haven’t been any reported staph infection cases in schools so far this year. A half-dozen Dallas County schools reported cases last year. Six cases of staph infections were reported at a Frisco middle school last school year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have worked with several sports organizations, including the NFL and NCAA, to educate athletes on hygiene and preventive measures. The University Interscholastic League and the Texas Department of State Health Services provide information for parents, athletic trainers and coaches including fliers, fact sheets and posters.
More serious and much less common infections include pneumonia caused by MRSA, a staph bacterium. Patients with the disease get very sick, with symptoms that can include high fever, a drop in blood pressure and shortness of breath. It eats holes through lungs, releases toxins through the body and can cause kidney failure. It can kill within days and must be treated with specific antibiotics.
In March, a 14-year-old Dallas boy died from a rare form of pneumonia caused by MRSA.
How staph infections spread
Staph infections are found in crowded places, such as schools, jails and gyms. Staph can rub off the skin of an infected person and onto the skin of another. It can also be transmitted on a shared object or surface, such as towels, bar soap, hot tub benches and athletics equipment.
PRECAUTIONS
•Encourage frequent hand washing with liquid soap and warm water.
•Encourage students to keep their fingernails clean and clipped short.
•Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or anything contaminated by a wound.
•Avoid sharing personal items – such as razors, towels, deodorant or soap – that directly touch the body.
•Clean and disinfect objects (such as gym and sports equipment) before use.
•Wash dirty clothes, linens and towels with hot water and laundry detergent. Using a hot dryer, rather than air drying, also helps kill bacteria.
•Encourage students who participate in contact sports to shower immediately after each practice, game or match.
•Keep open or draining sores and lesions clean and covered. Anyone assisting with wound care should wear gloves and wash hands with soap and water after dressing changes.
The Washington Post and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
