Three people in the Richmond County school system have been diagnosed with staph infection, according to school officials in Augusta. Dana Bedden, the school superintendent, says in a letter to parents today that the Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcous Aureus (MRSA) was confirmed in an individual at Glenn Hills Middle School, another at Blythe Elementary School, and a third at the Richmond County Board of Education administration building. The letter did not specify if the individuals were students, teachers or school system staff members. The letter also said that "all students and staff who have confirmed cases of staph infection are expected to remain home until they are able to provide a physician's notice indicating they may return to school and/or work." Custodial staff, meanwhile, are cleaning areas where the infected people might have been. Staph infections can cause serious illness and even death among people with compromised immune systems or who don't get treatment. Serious staph infections are often found in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Community-based MRSA, the infection reported in Richmond schools, often presents as a simple skin infection. This type of infection is resistant to common antibiotics such as penicillin, but is treatable with other medications. Health officials say community based MRSA is on the rise. Officials in the Columbia County school system say 12 students in nine schools there have been diagnosed with MRSA during the last two weeks. For more information, go to www.rcboe.org or www.cdc.gov.
