A Maplewood Middle School student has been diagnosed with Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA.
A letter sent from MMS Principal Jeff Truppo stated that the school is “taking every precaution to educate all students and staff about the seriousness of staph infections, and the methods used to control and prevent the bacteria.”
Truppo added, “Special attention will be paid to cleaning high risk areas.”
The letter directs parents to more information about MRSA on the Centers for Disease Control website and the New Jersey Department of Health website, which note that the MRSA are “almost always spread by direct physical contact.”
The letter is signed by Truppo, SOMSD District Physician Dr. Reginald Coleman, and Maplewood Health Officer Robert Roe.
The full content of the letter:
June 11, 2014
Dear Maplewood Middle School Community member,
This letter is to inform you that a Maplewood Middle School student has been diagnosed with Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the environment does not play a significant role in the transmission of MRSA. Accordingly, MRSA is transmitted more frequently by skin-to-skin contact and is resistant to most antibiotics.
Please be advised that the school is taking every precaution to educate students and staff about the seriousness of staph infections, and the methods used to prevent and control the bacteria. Special attention will be paid to cleaning high risk areas.
The CDC has listed the following precautions and practices, which support good hygiene,
– Keep you hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
– Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
– Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.
– Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.
We suggest that any parent and/or guardian, who may have a concern regarding a skin infection or lesion, should consult medical personnel immediately. If you have any further questions, please contact your family doctor.
The links below will take you to fact sheets from the New Jersey Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For further information, please consult: https://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/documents/faq/mrsa_faq.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Reginald Coleman, SOMSD District Physician
Mr. Robert Roe, Health Officer Maplewood
Mr. Jeffrey Truppo, Principal MMS
