Student reported with MRSA at Woodland Middle School

A student at Woodland Middle School in Gurnee has contracted MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant staph infection also known as a "superbug."

Woodland District 50 Superintendent Joy Swoboda sent a letter to parents Wednesday informing them about the middle school pupil. She said the child is undergoing proper medical treatment and should return to school soon.

Swoboda said officials learned about the infected student late Monday. The middle school, on Washington Street in Gurnee, serves children in grades six through eight.

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Woodland spokeswoman Jennifer Tempest Bova said today the district took immediate action at the middle school Monday night after learning about the student.

"We conducted a thorough cleaning in the middle school to be proactive," Bova said.

Concerns about MRSA - formally called Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus - have been surfacing at schools around the Chicago area.

On Wednesday, it was announced two pupils in the Naperville-area Indian Prairie Unit District 204 were diagnosed with MRSA.

In addition, two freshmen from Naperville North High School were said to be infected.

MRSA is a strain of bacteria that can be found in the nasal passages, skin or bodily secretions but does not necessarily produce the disease. MRSA is spread through direct physical contact.

To keep the disease from spreading, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people must keep their hand, cuts and scrapes clean and covered. It's also recommended to avoid contact with other people's wounds or sharing razors, towels and other personal items.