Dear Mariaville parents:

A letter is going home to inform you that we have a confirmed case of CA-MRSA (Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) at Mariaville Elementary School.  Since the diagnosis of this disease, the student has been at home and not in school. This student is taking antibiotics, is under the care of a physician, and will not return to Mariaville until cleared by that physician.  As one of many school districts throughout the state dealing with this issue, we are working closely with the health department on the treatment and prevention of MRSA in our schools.

CA-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 usually used to treat staph infections, such as Methicillin, and are referred to as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.  The community- associated version of MRSA is treated with a different type of antibiotic. This infection commonly causes boils and soft tissue infection. Symptoms include redness, areas warm to the touch, pain, drainage, discomfort, and swelling.  If your child is displaying these symptoms, or if you have concerns about your child’s health, please contact your family physician.  It also is very important to report a diagnosed or suspected infectious condition to your school nurse. As always, health information will be kept strictly confidential.

Schalmont schools take several measures to prevent infections, such as MRSA, that may spread in public spaces. These include having custodial staff regularly disinfect bathrooms, locker rooms, gym showers, water fountains, lunch tables, athletic equipment, and other such facilities. School nurses are well informed about MRSA, and students are strongly encouraged to engage in proper hygiene practices, such as frequent hand washing. We are taking proactive steps to prevent the spread of this infection:

• The classrooms have been cleaned and disinfected.  As a further precaution, custodians and maintenance staff are focusing on additional cleaning of bathrooms.

• We continue to reinforce good hygiene practices with our general student population.  Please encourage your children to wash their hands thoroughly with soap, which health authorities tell us is the best preventative for this infection.

Please visit the district webpage on MRSA for more information from the New York State Department of Health on this illness and what you can do to prevent it.  Again, I encourage you to continue to share with your children good hygiene practices, which are always our best defense against the spread of disease.

Sincerely,  

Your Elementary Principal
Brian Hunt