Nurses, custodians and other school staffers across New York are scouring schools and educating the community against the spread of student staph infections being reported around the state and throughout the country.

As New York Teacher went to press, schools around the state were reporting cases of MRSA - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

This strain of staph bacteria does not respond to penicillin or related antibiotics, although it can be treated with other drugs.

Locker rooms, buses, restrooms and gymnasiums have become special targets for stepped-up sanitization efforts by custodial staff. Most cases erupt among student-athletes prone to sharing equipment, skin-to-skin contact and sweaty workouts.

In Syracuse, nurses are on "high surveillance" after six confirmed cases of MRSA as of late October, according to school nurse Ann O'Hara, a member of the NYSUT Health Care Professionals Council.

Some cases were traced to members of the high school football team, she said.

"We've done a thorough cleaning of athletic gear, locker rooms and gym equipment," said O'Hara, a member of the Syracuse Teachers Association.

While staph infections are typically acquired in hospitals, O'Hara said, MRSA - a "particularly strong staph"  has become more common in the community. Its symptoms include skin eruptions such as boils, pustules or a rash. Soft-tissue infections can also occur.

Treatment includes draining the wound, covering the infection and, often, antibiotics, she said, noting that almost all surface infections clear. "In rare cases — in particular, persons with other medical conditions — a more serious infection can occur." At least one death from MRSA has been reported in Virginia.

In the Albany suburb of Guilderland, where a case of the staph infection was reported at the high school, head school nurse Kathy Oliver said nurses at all the district's schools have been briefed and a letter has been sent to parents.

At least six cases have been reported at Capital District schools.

"Along with hand-washing, athletes should be showering after practice and games, and notifying their coaches of open sores or wounds, which should be covered with a clean, dry bandage," said Oliver, a member of the Guilderland Central TA.

Personal items that have come in contact with bare skin - towels and razors, for instance - should not be shared, she noted.

Other locker room hygiene should include regularly wiping down mats and equipment and making clean towels available.

NYSUT Vice President Kathleen Donahue, whose office oversees health and safety issues for the union, said NYSUT has posted MRSA information and links to other resources on its Web site. Go to http://www.nysut.org/ and click on Workplace Health and Safety.

- Liza Frenette

Super Bowl of Super Bugs: Keeping athletes safe in the locker room

NYSUT Health and Safety Newsletter

A recent survey found a much higher rate of infections caused by the "super bug" Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among athletes. Simple precautions can prevent infection by this potentially life-threatening pathogen. Practices such as wiping down equipment and using disinfecting wipes between workouts can eliminate most super resistant bugs effectively and easily.

The survey of U.S. athletic trainers found that more than half have treated an athlete for MRSA over the past 12 months. The web-based survey interviewed 364 certified trainers and 53 percent had seen such infections. Eighty-six percent of the infections were among male players, 65 percent of whom were football players. Basketball players and wrestlers accounted for 21 and 20 percent of the infections, respectively.

Since MRSA can be spread easily, good hand hygiene and safe locker room hygiene can significantly reduce the chance of getting the disease.

Safe locker room hygiene should include the following:

• Frequently sanitize hands after competing or working out

• Regularly wipe down mats, helmets, protective padding, common-area surfaces and other equipment

• Immediately treat and wrap all scrapes, burns and rashes

• Ensure availability of soap and water and encourage routine showering after each practice or game

• Make CLEAN towels available and have them washed immediately after each use

For more information about MRSA, including resources for athletics, go to http://www.mrsaresources.com/.