Steps Schools Can Take to Prevent Staph Infections

Recent cases of staph infections in schools, particularly MRSA, have alarmed school officials, students, parents and the general public.  Schools have been closed, and school events have been canceled in order for cleaning crews to disinfect buses, lockers and classrooms.  Within this context, a few questions have been raised such as:  What can schools do to prevent such infections? and How should schools proceed if an infection occurs?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), staph infections can be prevented by simple measures such as practicing good hygiene.  Factors that have been associated with the spread of MRSA skin infections include: close skin-to-skin contact, openings in the skin such as cuts or abrasions, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions, and poor hygiene.  Some settings have factors that make it easier for MRSA to be transmitted.  These factors – referred by the CDC as the 5 C’s – include:  Crowding, frequent skin-to-skin Contact, Compromised skin (such as cuts and abrasions), Contaminated items and surfaces, and lack of Cleanliness.  

To prevent the spread of MRSA, it is important to:

• Keep hands clean by washing them thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based sanitizer;
• Shower immediately after exercising;
• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed;
• Avoid contact with other people’s wounds and bandages;
• Avoid sharing personal items such as towels and razors;
• Use a barrier between the skin and shared equipment such as weight-training benches; and
• Maintain a clean environment by establishing cleaning procedures for frequently touched surfaces and surfaces that come into direct contact with people’s skin.

The CDC emphasizes that covering open wounds will greatly reduce the risks of surfaces becoming contaminated with MRSA and that, in general, it is not necessary to close schools to disinfect them when MRSA infections occur. Instead, cleaning and disinfecting should be performed on surfaces that are likely to have contacted bare skin or poorly covered wounds. 

For specific guidelines on how schools should proceed when MRSA infections occur, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools/.

The CDC has posted comprehensive information about staph infections and MRSA, at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca.html.

Source: "Questions and Answers about Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Schools," CDC website.