October 25, 2007
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Earlier this week, Dr. Augustus J. Massaro, Superintendent of Schools, sent a letter and two-page fact sheet home regarding the MRSA bacteria, which has received increased media attention in the last week or so.
The letter indicated one staff member from Fred S. Engle Middle School had been diagnosed with MRSA. After receiving confirmation of this diagnosis, the school was cleaned and disinfected twice.
No additional cases of MRSA among staff or students have been reported to Avon Grove School District officials. Any rumors related to additional cases or impending school closures are false.
The safety of our students, faculty, and staff are top priorities. Our schools are cleaned regularly, and health officials have advised us that practicing good personal hygiene is the best way to prevent staph or MRSA skin infections.
Updated: Thursday, October 5, 2007, 10:10 a.m.
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October 22, 2007
Dear Parents/Guardians:
You may have read or heard recent news reports regarding a skin infection called MRSA, which stands for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. MRSA is a form of the common staph bacteria that has developed resistance to certain, but not all, antibiotics. Skin infections caused by MRSA are treatable with proper medical care.
In the past week, the news media has reported on MRSA cases involving school students and staff in various locations throughout the country and in our own area. Recently, it has been confirmed that a staff member at Fred S. Engle Middle School has been diagnosed with a MRSA skin infection.
The school physician and county health officials have assured us that students and staff are not at an increased risk to MRSA. As a precaution, we have cleaned and disinfected all common areas and classrooms at the middle school.
It is important to note that MRSA is not new. MRSA skin infections are treatable with medicine other than penicillins and antibiotics closely related to penicillin. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more serious blood-related infections caused by MRSA are very rare among healthy individuals.
Staph skin infections typically result in redness and warmth of the affected area. A staph infection may look like a boil, pimple, or spider bite. If a common staph or MRSA skin infection is suspected, contact your family physician.
MRSA is most often spread by direct skin-to-skin contact, or contact with an open wound, nasal secretions, or an item that came in contact with someone else’s infection (e.g., used bandages, towels).
The best defense against MRSA – and any other illness-causing germs – is good personal hygiene. For this reason, we remind parents, students, and staff to frequently wash their hands with soap and warm water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. In addition, cuts and scrapes should always be kept clean and covered completely with a bandage until fully healed. Never touch another person’s cut or bandage. Health experts also discourage sharing of personal items (e.g., towels, razors, clothing).
Please see the following links for more information on MRSA:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Q&A About MRSA in Schools
PA Department of Health Recommendations on Children with MRSA in School Settings
PA Health Secretary Dr. Calvin B. Johnson Suggests Measures to Reduce Spread of MRSA
PA Department of Health: MRSA Frequently Asked Questions
PA Health Advisory #107
Chester County Health Department MRSA Resource Page
Posted: Monday, October 22, 2007, 1:48 pm
