mrsa virus

Two Washington Junior High Football players were recently diagnosed with a potentially deadly staph infection. The notice was made available to the public Thursday.

The players, both in eighth grade, were recently taken to a medical facilty, according to Washington Schools Assistant Superintendent Paul Goss. Because of medical privacy laws, Goss could not say who the students were but they were treated and released from the facility.

Also not known is how the two players contracted the infection, known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus areus, or MRSA. Both football locker rooms have been sanitized by the janitorial staff, Goss said.

All Washington students were sent home early Thursday due to parent-teacher conferences. No school is scheduled for Friday.

"We are sanitizing all the buildings this weekend," Goss said. "We are taking the precautions the medical community is advising us."

At the Washington School Board meeting Thursday, Goss said the janitorial staff was cleaning all the schools rather than a professional cleaning service which some other schools districts who have had students contract the infection have chosen to do.

This is not the first time area schools have been made aware of MRSA. In September, Daviess Community Hospital hosted a meeting with health officials on the warning signs of MRSA and how to prevent it.

A letter about staph infections was sent home to Washington parents around Labor Day, Goss said.

School Board President Gary Williams said that school health officials were at the DCH meeting and the school is taking the situation seriously.

"It's not a reportable thing anywhere and that's part of the problem," Daviess County Health Nurse Jane Norton, RN, said. "It's the kind of thing that's being monitored and unfortuately it's in most communities around."

Norton said the reports do come in to the health department from parents, teachers, nurses as well as emergency room personnel.

"The meeting (in September) has increased the awareness among coaches, teachers, nurses," Norton added. "It's something that, if caught early, is treatable. I don't really understand why it's not reportable. It would make sense to have an idea of how many cases are out there."

Norton said the infection is more common in schools because of the close quarters and close contact. She said in sports, showering after each practice, using a fresh towel for each shower and washing practice uniforms in hot water and bleach will help prevent the infection. She also said advised students not to share personal items.

Goss said the football equipment is sent out for sanitation at the end of every season and the uniforms are washed in hot water with bleach as recommended.

With basketball and wrestling seasons approaching, Hatton said every precaution will be taken to make sure the athletes are aware of necessary procedures and locker rooms will be cleaned after each practice or game.

Read more An Inverness-shire woman has passed the deadly MRSA virus to her dog - without even knowing she was a carrier.

If it had not been for the quick thinking of her local vet, Susie Mackintosh, of Kirkhill, near Beauly, would never have known she was harbouring MRSA, and her springer spaniel Cudubh might have been put down.

Mrs Mackintosh, 41, suffers from a number of serious health problems following a motorcycle accident 15 years ago, and recently spent a week in Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, following a fall.



Shortly afterwards, six-year-old Cudubh tore a ligament in his knee but when the wound started to leak fluid, Mrs Mackintosh took him to the vet.

She asked for the vet's help to lift Cudubh on to the table, explaining that she had recently come out of hospital.

Andrew Hay, of Epona Veterinary Services in Inverness, put two and two together, and suggested Mrs Mackintosh be screened for MRSA.

To her horror, the tests came back positive.

Meanwhile, Cudubh was also screened for MRSA, and was also found to be carrying the deadly bug.

Both patients underwent treatment and have now been declared free of the virus.

Mrs Macintosh said: "I had the typical ignorant reaction, I was aghast and in denial, until I heard that one in three people is a carrier of MRSA.

"MRSA is airborne and it looks likely that I had passed it on to Cudubh when I was cleaning his wound.

"He is my faithful companion and with me all the time.

"The vet said that, although this was the first case he had diagnosed, MRSA is spreading to the animal community because of its prevalence in humans, and he fully expects to see more cases."

Mrs Mackintosh now has a ￡1,000 vet's bill ahead of her but says Cudubh is worth every penny.

She said she has requested screening for her two children, Charlotte, 15, and Gillies, 11, but has so far been told it is not necessary.

"I don't accept this and am taking this further," she said.

She added: "I felt like a leper for a while, my friends wouldn't come near me. But now that I am clear I am planning a huge fundraising party for Amnesty International next week."