MRSA Cases Reported at Fairfield School: Report

FAIRFIELD, CT — Several students at Fairfield Ludlowe High School have contracted MRSA within the past week, according to the Connecticut Post.

However, while MRSA is a serious illness, health officials told the Post that it’s a “very low” risk to the school’s general population if it is addressed properly.

MRSA is a kind of staph infection that may be more difficult to treat but is otherwise the same as a “staph infection,” according to the state Department of Public Health website. Mild infections may look like a pimple or boil and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. More serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or surgical wound infections.

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“Staph is passed from person to person through direct contact with skin or through contact with contaminated items,” according to the DPH website. “The bacteria may live in people’s noses and on their skin and most of the time, do not cause any problem. Staph can enter the body through breaks in the skin and sometimes cause infection. The main ways to prevent staph infection are to wash hands and care for wounds properly.”

Read the full story at the Connecticut Post here.

For a fact sheet and practical advice for parents regarding MRSA, visit the state DPH website here.

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