MRSA Not Welcomed in Schools

Schools are up against new super bugs that can severely affect the health of the youth. There are many 'bugs' that attack schools each year. In particular, the U.S. is hit hard by MRSA, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a serious deadly skin infection that spreads quickly. Informing children and parents of good personal hygiene as well as cleanliness is the best defense against this illness. Also, keeping schools clean can help prevent students from getting MRSA.

MRSA is also known as Staphylococcus (Staph) infection. Staph is a form of bacteria that is responsible for causing many common skin infections. MRSA is so easy to get. It is passes from person to person through means of skin contact which then enters the body through any abrasions or cuts that may be on the skin. At first MRSA appears to be a pimple on the skin that is filled with fluid or pus. Most of the time the pimple or boil will appear to be on an arm or a leg. However, it has been known to appear on other places of the body. The boil becomes swollen, warm, painful, and red. Fever is extremely common with having a staph infection. To determine if the infected area is in fact staph, the area is swabbed and then tested. People who get staph sometimes have to be hospitalized, depending on the degree of MRSA. Some people have died from this infection from not having the proper care.

The name 'super bug' is an infection that used to plague the super hero population from comic books or in science fiction movies. These drug-resistant infections have been on the rapid increase over the past decade. These infections are becoming more and more of a reality in the general population. This particular infection, MSRA, has urged many school districts to battle against this major health threat. Schools stopping MSRA will help decrease the numbers of people getting it.

Methicillin-resisitant Staphylococcus aureus, which is pronounced as mersa, (MRSA, pronounced mersa), is feared for several reasons. Firstly, this infections spreads rapidly and is not treatable with regular antibiotics. Secondly, if MRSA goes untreated, then it may cause several unwanted serious complications (Delisio 1). While that may be the dirt and bad news about this infection, there is still hope. Schools can make a difference. Schools enforcing personal hygiene and cleanliness policies can cause the spread of MRSA to decrease or even be prevented. If schools systems join in alligence they can kick MRSA to the curb, so to speak.

Educating parents, teachers, and students is the most influential factor of ending MRSA in schools. "To help prevent the spread of MRSA in schools, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched an education campaign aimed at clinicians, educators, and mothers" (Delisio, 1). In this campaign, students, teachers, and parents are each provided with resources that teach MRSA prevention, how to identify it, and how to treat it. MRSA is not welcomed in schools.

Delisio, Ellen R. "Preventing MRSA in Your School." EducationWorld. 14 Apr. 2010 http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues/issues428.shtml .