Marlboro JV football team member has MRSA

MARLBORO – There is one confirmed case of MRSA in the Marlboro Central School District. MRSA is an antibiotic-resistant skin infection.
Superintendent Michael Brooks told parents in a letter on Thursday that the student is a member of the junior varsity football team. Another player has skin lesions, but MRSA infections have not been confirmed with that student, Brooks wrote. “We want to assure you that we are doing all that is necessary to provide a safe and healthy school environment for our students and staff.”
The superintendent said the school is “taking additional cleaning measures in areas frequented by the student.”
Staphylococcus Aureus (SA) is a germ that is commonly found on the skin and in the nose of 20 to 30 percent of healthy people, according to the state Health Department. MRSA is a strain that is resistant to certain antibiotics. If a diagnosis of MRSA is made, it is treatable with a different type of antibiotic.
When the infection is contacted in community settings such as schools, it is most likely through direct skin-to-skin contact and sharing of personal items such as towels and razors. Good personal hygiene is the most effective way to prevent an infection. That consists of hand washing, proper care of skin injuries and infections, and avoiding sharing personal items, the health department said.
The infection commonly causes boils and tissue infection with symptoms including redness, areas warm to the touch, pain, drainage, discomfort and swelling. Brooks advised parents to take their children to the doctor if they display any of those symptoms.