Background:
In response to growing public awareness of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Public Health is providing information and resources that should be useful to schools and businesses in our community. Attached are electronic copies of the materials being sent this week to King County schools and businesses (see yellow box above.) The packet includes a cover letter, a list of MRSA resources, and a Public Health MRSA Factsheet.
With regard to MRSA, Public Health recommends that schools and businesses:
- Report outbreaks (person-to-person transmission) to Public Health at (206) 296-4774. Individual cases of MRSA are not notifiable.
- Have persons with skin or soft tissue infections see their health care providers promptly for evaluation and treatment.
- Have persons with MRSA skin infections keep infected areas of skin covered at all times. Covering wounds greatly reduces the risk of infecting others or contaminating surfaces.
- Exclude activities involving physical contact (such as sports) any individual who has an open infected wound that cannot be kept securely covered until it is healed.
- Exclude from child care or preschool any child with a bacterial skin infection until that infection has been evaluated and treated with antibiotics for at least 24 hours.
- Promote frequent hand washing and good personal hygiene.
- Regularly clean and disinfect equipment that has frequent skin contact (such as athletic equipment) and do not allow sharing of towels and other personal equipment. Particular attention should be paid to surfaces that are likely to come into contact with uncovered or poorly covered infections.
- Use detergent-based cleaners or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectants that are effective at removing MRSA from the environment.
