Checklist for the Control & Prevention of
Staphylococcal Infections
Including Community Acquired-MRSA in the School Setting
General cleaning strategies
q Routinely clean environmental surfaces with an all-purpose cleaner, using the product in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
q Ensure that high-touch surfaces (e.g., doorknobs, light switches, drinking fountains, faucet handles, and surfaces in and around toilets) are cleaned on a daily basis.
q Promptly clean and decontaminate body fluid contamination of surfaces using either a 1:10 dilution of household chlorine bleach (1 part bleach in 9 parts water, prepared on a daily basis) or a germicidal product with specific label claims for HIV or hepatitis B virus.
Strategies for cleaning sport/athletic-related equipment
and items:
q Clean items used in sporting and/or athletic-related activities after each use with an all-purpose cleaner, using the product in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
q Promptly clean and decontaminate items that have visible soiling with blood or other body fluids using either a 1:10 dilution of household chlorine bleach (1 part bleach in 9 parts water, prepared on a daily basis) or a germicidal product with specific label claims for HIV or hepatitis B virus.
Measures for preventing additional staphylococcal skin infections at:
q Advise students, faculty, and staff regarding the importance of hand hygiene to minimize the spread of infectious disease.
q Encourage good hygiene, including showering and washing with soap after all practices and competitions.
q Advise students of the importance of avoiding contact with drainage from skin lesions of other players
q Give consideration to having sports/athletic participants shower before participating in competition/public activity.
q Ensure availability of adequate soap and hot running water for hand washing in all bathrooms.
q Provide individual-use towels for use during all practices and competitions. Wash after one use.
q Don’t store wet, dirty clothing in lockers.
q Discourage sharing of personal items (e.g. deodorant, razors, towels, water bottles).
q Keep cuts and abrasions clean and covered with clean, dry bandages until healed.
q Do not allow sports/athletic participants with draining wounds or infections to participate in practices or games until the wound has stopped draining. Permit the sports/athletic participant to participate in non-contact activities if wounds are covered and the infected person observes good hygienic practices (e.g. hand washing, showering, and laundering clothes).
q Train sports/athletic participants and coaches in recognition for wounds that are potentially infected.
q Encourage sports/athletic participants to report wounds and skin lesions to coaches and encourage coaches to assess participants regularly for wounds and skin lesions.
q Ensure that practice uniforms and PE uniforms are laundered on a weekly basis, or more frequently if feasible.
q Encourage sports/athletic participants who have non-healing, draining skin lesions and wounds to seek medical attention.
q Determine if household or other close contacts of the patient have infections compatible with MRSA. If so, encourage them to seek medical attention.
q Students and their parents, faculty and staff should be provided information about what MRSA is, how it is spread and how it can be prevented.
q Clusters of doctor-diagnosed cases (defined by Illinois Department of Public Health as 3 or more) should be reported to the DuPage County Health Department at 630-682-7979 ext. 7553 under IDPH Rules and Regulations for the Control of Communicable Disease Section 690.295.
Reference Materials
MRSA and Sports Participation
- CDC.
Public Health Dispatch: Outbreaks of Community-Associated
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Skin Infections --- Los Angeles County, California, 2002-2003.
MMWR February 7, 2003; Vol. 52, No. 5, page 88.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5205a4.htm
- CDC. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus
aureus Infections Among Competitive
Sports Participants --- Colorado, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Los Angeles
County, 2000-2003. MMWR
August 22, 2003; Vol. 52, No. 33, pages 793-795.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5233a4.htm
- CDC
CA-MRSA Website including fact sheet, Frequently Asked Questions and
Education Materials.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca.html
- Howe
WB. Preventing Infectious Diseases in Sports. The Physician and Sportsmedicine 2003; 31: 23-29.
http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2003/0203/howe.htm
Additional references used to develop recommendations for schools:
- CDC.
Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings. MMWR October 25, 2002; Vol. 51,
No. RR-16. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5116.pdf
- CDC.
Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-care
Facilities. MMWR 2003; Vol.
52, No. RR-10. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5210a1.htm
Illinois Department of Public Health materials for MRSA:
·
Basic Hygiene Guidelines for the Prevention of
Staphylococcal Infections in Schools
http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/infect/hygiene.htm
·
Recommendations for the Prevention of Staphylococcal
Infections for Schools
http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/infect/schoolstaphrecs.htm
- IDPH
Health Beat Fact Sheet on MRSA