Oct 25, 2007 6:00 pm US/Eastern
Brooklyn 7th Grader Dies From 'Superbug'
Student Had Boil Or Rash On Back That Went Untreated
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
A seventh grade student died Thursday from M-R-S-A, the drug-resistant "superbug" staph infection, CBS 2 has learned. The child was a student at John Wilson IS-211 in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn.
A sign that read "Our hearts go out to our little angel" was lit outside the school Thursday night in the student's memory. It's believed to be the first reported case of the infection this year.
Officials said a boil or rash was found on the student's back, but the infection was not treated properly.
The Health Department says there is no reason to believe other children or school employees are at an increased risk of the M-R-S-A infection.
Staph infections, including the serious Methicillin-resistant-Staphylococcus aureus, or M-R-S-A, have spread through schools nationwide in recent weeks, according to health and education officials.
The infection can be spread by skin-to-skin contact or sharing an item used by an infected person, particularly one with an open wound.
Some simple steps can help everyone avoid coming down with M-R-S-A. 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.
"I want to reassure the public that staph is a common bacteria present in the environment and is not a threat to the average person," said state Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines. "Some strains of staph are now resistant to the antibiotic Methicillin, and may cause minor to serious infections under specific conditions. Our goal is to reduce the prevalence of these antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the community and to quickly identify and properly treat the infections. The medical community should be on the alert to even minor infections that could be caused by MRSA and treat them properly."
The state Education Department released its advisory to all public, private and charter schools. It details cleaners to use and other precautions, updating an Oct. 19 directive, said Tom Dunn of the state Education Department.
This week four more Long Island students were diagnosed with the antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection, bringing the total diagnosed cases on Long Island to seven. Such infections became a concern following the death this month of a Virginia high school senior who was diagnosed with it.
"The health advisory we issued today emphasizes how important common sense precautions like hand-washing are in reducing MRSA infections in schools," Daines said.
Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 for the latest in this developing story.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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