Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: February 23, 2008

A student at Sandusky Middle School has been diagnosed with a confirmed case of MRSA, school officials were notified Friday.

The parent of the student with the antibiotic-resistant infection - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureaus - alerted school administrators Friday. School officials then contacted the health department.

Lynchburg City Schools spokeswoman Treney Tweedy said after-school activities were canceled Friday so the school could be cleaned and disinfected.

“We have had all the additional cleaning products,” she said. “It’s just a matter of continuing what we do.”

According to a statement released by the school system, the student is home from school and being treated with antibiotics. Tweedy said she did not know how long the student was out or would remain out of school.

Parents were notified of the MRSA case by a phone call through the school system’s automated message system, ConnectED.

This is the third confirmed MRSA case in city schools this school year. The first two were at E.C. Glass High School, Tweedy said.

MRSA garnered national attention late last year when 17-year-old Ashton Bonds, who attended Staunton River High School in neighboring Bedford County, died from the infection.

Shortly following Bonds’ death, a study by the Centers for Disease Control was released indicating MRSA is a significant health problem in the United States.

Nearly a week and half later, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine approved an emergency regulation requiring laboratories report MRSA infections to the Virginia Department of Health.

MRSA, which can be contracted through injury to the skin and spread through equipment or direct contact with the affected area, is common among athletes. The infection often appears as a painful pimple or boil. The best prevention against the disease is cleanliness.

Tweedy said while Lynchburg City Schools routinely clean and disinfect facilities, additional measures were taken at Sandusky on Friday evening.