Disinfecting Schools May Not Curb the Spread of MRSA
Posted on October 26, 2007
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Schools across the country have taken steps to disinfect common areas after learning of local staph cases, but sanitizing academic facilities is not likely to help prevent outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant staph, according to Virginia’s state epidemiologist. Dr. Carl Armstong told reporters that although heightened concern about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is understandable, “emphasis on the environment has been overemphasized.”
“The place where the organism was acquired or where transmission occurred is not necessarily where illness occurs,” Armstrong said. Most cases of MRSA come from person-to-person contact, and thus, good hygiene practices, such as frequent handwashing and keeping wounds clean and covered, are the best defense against contracting MRSA infections.
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