Woodford County Health Department
229 North Main Street
Versailles, Kentucky 40383
859-873-4541

Garland VanZant
Director
October 31, 2007

Dear Parents:

I have been asked by the Woodford County School System to address the issue of Staphlococcus aureus (Staph, for short) in school systems.  Woodford County High School has one confirmed case of Methicillin-resistant Staph (MRSA) in the school.  This is the result of an injury that occurred about two weeks ago.  The patient is under treatment by a physician.  There is no need to be concerned about the spread of Staph from this patient.

The media has spent much time recently on MRSA.  Staph has been around for centuries.  Within the past few decades some Staph has become and is becoming resistant to common antibiotics.  Anytime you or your child has an injury, sore or boil that does not heal quickly you should go to your family physician.  He should culture the area and prescribe medication based upon that culture.  In most cases, this will take care of the problem.  Only a very small portion of Staph infections go on to cause serious problems.  However, it is something we do not wish to ignore.  Fortunately, Staph is generally easy to control.  Simple, good hygiene practices will stop its spread.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends 4 basic steps for good hygiene:
1.  Thorough and often hand washing, use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers and showering immediately after exercise.
2.  Covering any skin trauma with a clean dry bandage until healed.
3.  Avoid sharing of personal items that come in contact with skin (towels, razors, etc.) and the use of a barrier between you and items such as exercise equipment.
4.  Maintain a clean environment by establishing cleaning procedures for frequently touched surfaces and surfaces that come into direct contact with peoples's skin.  

As a result of the media barrage, we have been in contact with the school system on an almost daily basis for the past few weeks.  The school has carried and continues to carry out our recommendations relative to sanitization of the school facilities and the provision of adequate hand sanitization supplies.  Janitorial staff and faculty have all been briefed on proper sanitization procedures.  We have neither recommended nor do we think it is necessary for the school to close for sanitization.  Occasional cases of Staph are going to show in the schools, the jail, and hospital and in our homes.  It has for years.  We do not need to get excited about it but, rather, just know how to deal with it in an effective manner.  http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools/#q4 is a good website for more information.

Sincerely, 

Garland VanZant

Director