Three cases of MRSA confirmed at Naperville Central

Three Naperville Central High School students have been treated for "seemingly isolated incidents" of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, Naperville Unit District 203 officials confirmed Thursday.

Spokeswoman Melea Smith said one case had been confirmed and two were deemed "possible" just before students went on spring break March 26.

Ellen Wolff, the district's supervisor of health services and a registered nurse, said officials notified the community Thursday after the DuPage County Health Department confirmed the "small cluster of illness."

"Although we became aware of the possibility of these cases just prior to spring break, because it takes several days to receive a lab-confirmed diagnosis, we were unable to provide information to the NCHS community at that time," Wolff said. "Upon return to school on Monday, we found that there were, indeed, two confirmed cases within a 14-day period, which is then reportable to the DuPage County Health Department,"

Wolff said Central's custodial staff performed "extra cleaning" during spring break as a precaution.

She confirmed two of the infected students are athletes but on different teams. She said the cases were deemed isolated because no link could be found among the three students.

"Since Monday, we have worked closely with the (health department) and have been following their guidelines," she said. "The DuPage County Health Department considers this to be a small cluster of illness."

Health department officials provided the district with a letter on Wednesday and asked that it be distributed to the Naperville Central community.

District officials included the letter in a Talk203 message before the end of school Thursday.

The purpose of the letter was to assure families there is no immediate health danger and to heighten awareness of prevention and follow-up steps that need to be taken in cases of skin infections, officials said.

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria found in the nose or skin of up to 30 percent of the population. When the skin is broken, bacteria can enter the body and cause infection.

MRSA refers to a strain of the bacteria that resists antibiotics commonly used to treat staph infections. About 1 percent of the population is infected with the MRSA bacteria.

Staph infections such as MRSA usually are transmitted by skin-to-skin contact with someone who is infected, but it's also possible to pick up the bacteria if you have an open cut, don't wash your hands or share items such as razors or towels.

While treatable, the infection can cause pneumonia or infiltrate the bloodstream, leading to serious complications or death.