Oct 18, 2007 7:30 am US/Eastern
Conn. Students Contract 'Superbug' Staph Infection
Football Player At Newtown High Becomes Second Victim
WESTON, Conn. (CBS) ―
On Wednesday night another Connecticut student was diagnosed with a drug-resistant staph infection. This one: a football player in Newtown.
This comes just hours after CBS 2 HD learned a student at Weston High School was being treated for a potentially deadly strain.
A growing number of school districts are reporting the so-called "super bug" infections in students -- staph infections that can be potentially deadly. A Weston High student is being treated while the school is taking swift precautions to protect other students.
The infection, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, has become a hot topic in the news recently after a student in Virginia died from the infection. Many in Weston are understandably concerned to learn there's one confirmed and one suspected case at the high school.
School and health officials point out that almost 1,000 MRSA cases were reported in Conn. last year and the state epidemiologist says "every school has at least several of them per year, and maybe more."
Weston Superintendent Dr. John Reed says students who are properly diagnosed, treated, and who take precautions will not be barred from school. "Patients are out and about among us," he says.
Some simple steps can help everyone avoid coming down with MRSA. That means keeping hands clean by using soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers; keeping cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage; avoiding contact with other people's wounds or bandages; and avoiding sharing personal items such as towels or razors.
"Do not share personal belongings such as clothing, athletic equipment, even soap if they're taking showers in the school," says Health Director Monica Wheeler.
Weston parents are warning their children to play it smart so they can keep healthy. Debbie Friedman tells CBS 2 that she told her daughter to be cautious.
"She should just not touch too many people. You know they like to hugh and kiss, I said [she should] just wash her hands. What are you gonna do? Gotta keep them safe," Friedman says.
The New York City Department of Education did not say if MRSA is present in city schools because staph infection cases are not required to be reported, something the Health Department wants to change.
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