Case of MRSA reported in So. Brunswick
Diagnosed elementary student is not contagious, according to physician
BY CHRIS MURINO Staff Writer

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - A case of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, was reported at Cambridge Elementary School in South Brunswick this week.

School physician Dr. Au Phan, of Brunswick Urgent Care, notified the district on Oct. 30 that an elementary school student had been diagnosed with MRSA. The student was treated and now poses no threat to anyone else as MRSA is easily treated when diagnosed early on.

MRSA is a skin infection and is usually spread by direct physical contact or indirect contact contaminated by the infected skin of someone with the bacteria, according to information on the South Brunswick School's Web site.

Although it is not required for schools to report single cases, Superintendent of Schools Gary McCartney thought it was in the best interest of everyone to do so.

"I didn't want rumors to carry the day," he said.

McCartney does not know for sure where the child contracted the MRSA, but he believes it happened outside of school.

The schools have been keeping parents informed, posting information about MRSA on their Web

site and sending a letter home to parents about the isolated case.

"We changed the solvent used for cleaning," McCartney said. "We're trying to make sure all commonly used things are clean - water fountains, doorknobs."

McCartney offered some advice for students, as well.

"They should wash their hands," Mc- Cartney said. "Don't share articles of clothing and things that could be carrying the bacteria. If they get cut, they have to show it to the nurse to get cleaned and bandaged. That's what can prevent infection."

MRSA has been around for 40 years, but it has received media attention recently after a high school student from Virginia died from the infection. The disease, which used to be mostly found in hospitals and jails, has spread now to schools and other areas.