Long Branch student diagnosed with MRSA Ocean Township High School student contracted skin infection BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer LONG BRANCH - A Long Branch elementary student was expected to return to school Monday after missing several days of classes due to a MRSA staph infection. The school district received a report Oct. 30 that a third-grade student had contracted the antibiotic-resistant infection known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, according to Schools Superintendent Joseph M. Ferraina. "The student is doing well," said Ferraina in an interview Friday. "The student was released from school last Wednesday and is going to return Monday." On Oct. 19, Ocean Township High School Principal Julia A. Davidow sent letters to students and parents in response to a high school student who was diagnosed with MRSA. "Our superintendent contacted the Monmouth County Health Commission, who advised us that this incident did not constitute a reportable medical emergency," Davidow wrote in the letter. "We are pleased to announce that the student is at home, doing very well and responding to treatment," Davidow wrote. She continued, "The most effective precaution to avoid infection is to regularly wash your hands, bathe and wash thoroughly after exercise and wash your clothes regularly. "Our routine for cleaning and disinfecting has been intensified." In addition to the letter, the school system sent packets of information to parents on MRSA. Ferraina also distributed packets of information on MRSA to parents of the Long Branch school district on Oct. 22 in response to a New York report of a student who had contracted the infection. "There was a child that died from the case in New York," Ferraina said. "People started to become very alarmed. "We wanted to get information out there and give parents the heads up." He continued, "MRSA is not new. It has been around for many years. Most of the time it is contracted in hospitals or in places of close contact, such as locker rooms or from wrestling mats." The Long Branch school system sent parents information on how to identify MRSA and how to avoid it, such as handwashing and not sharing towels, razors or other personal items, according to Ferraina. MRSA is a skin infection that has become resistant to certain antibiotics and are generally minor, such as pimples, boils or other skin conditions. Left untreated, the infections can spread to the bloodstream or lungs, causing serious illness and possibly death. According to Ferraina, on Oct. 26, the student was brought to the Emergency Room by a parent to treat a skin infection. The family learned on Oct. 29 that the condition was MRSA and called the school the next day. The district sent letters to parents on Oct. 30 to inform them of the reported case, Ferraina said. "We commend the parent for being observant and seeking immediate medical attention," Ferraina wrote in the letter. "Our school custodians are continuing to disinfect each school building and all classrooms. "If you notice any unusual rash, "weeping area," "red" or inflamed areas on your child, please notify your school nurse or medical doctor," he wrote. The name of the Long Branch school the child attends is not being released, according to Ferraina, in order to protect the identity of the student.