MRSA found in Newark school Security guard's case follows 4 in Passaic Sunday, October 28, 2007 • BY JONATHAN CASIANO AND ALLISON STEELE • Star-Ledger Staff New cases of the staph infection known as MRSA continued to spring up around New Jersey yesterday, with a Newark school security guard becoming the state's latest victim of the antibiotic-resistant infection. The Newark guard, who works at the city's Roberto Clemente Elementary School, tested positive for MRSA on Friday, prompting school officials to notify parents, sanitize the school and post a bulletin on the district's Web site. The guard's diagnosis came on the heels of four newly reported cases in Passaic County, including children in Clifton and Paterson. None of the New Jersey cases thus far has proved deadly, and physicians have repeatedly cautioned against overreaction to an infection that's been prevalent for years. But last week's death of a Brooklyn middle schooler diagnosed with MRSA has kept the so-called "superbug" high on the minds of Garden State residents. "I just want to know what's going on," said Rose Ortiz of Newark, whose 9-year-old granddaughter attends Roberto Clemente School. Ortiz said she became worried yesterday morning when she heard about the security guard's infection on the news and was apprehensive about sending her granddaughter to school without fully understanding the risk she might face. "If that is true, I would be worried. I don't know that I'd want to send my granddaughter back to school," she said. School officials took a calm tone, noting that the school would be sanitized and remain open. "The district is working diligently to ensure that proper precautions and products are being utilized per the CDC's recommendations," said Superintendent Marion Bolden in a written statement, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Staph infections contracted outside a hospital or nursing home are generally superficial skin infections that can be treated with basic antibiotics if they don't clear up on their own. In fact, staph germs are found on the skin and in the nasal passages of 20 to 40 percent of healthy people and do not become dangerous unless they enter a person's body through a cut or by inhalation. But methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is marked by a resistance to standard treatment and can be deadly in certain cases. Though doctors say MRSA strains have been around for 40 years, the acronym became a national buzzword recently when CDC released a report detailing 19,000 MRSA-related deaths in 2005. The majority of those deaths occurred in health care settings. But shortly after the report's release, MRSA-related deaths occurred in Mississippi, New Hampshire and Virginia. On Thursday, the infection claimed another victim, 12-year-old Brooklynite Omar Rivera. Dozens of less serious cases have been reported elsewhere, and health officials are skeptical as to whether the increased number of MRSA cases is a dangerous trend or the result of greater awareness and more testing. In New Jersey, cases have emerged in Vernon, Point Pleasant, Hackettstown, Maplewood, Clifton, Paterson and now Newark. Tom Slater, spokesman for the state Department of Health and Senior Services, said the department recommends that those with a skin infection go to their health provider for diagnosis and treatment. "MRSA is not a new infection; it's been around for a while and most people get it, get better and move on," he said. "Our calming message is that it is treatable but you need to take care of it early." Staph germs are contagious and most commonly transmitted through person-to-person contact. They can manifest as small pimples or angry boils on the skin, and the area around the infection may feel warm and appear swollen. In New York City, parents are reportedly sending their children to school with bottles of antibacterial hand sanitizer and telling them to be wary of physical contact with other students. Experts have emphasized good hygiene as the best way to prevent infection. Parents should teach their children to wash their hands often with lots of hot, soapy water, especially after playing sports. Any cuts should be cleaned, treated with an antibiotic cream and covered. The Associated Press contributed to this report. © 2007 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission.