Staph Anxiety Spreads Beyond Schools

At Least One Case in D.C. Fire Dept.; Gyms Scrubbing Down

The antibiotic-resistant germ that has infected several area teachers and some students is not just a concern for schools.

Throughout the region, gyms, fire departments and other places where people share equipment or have skin-to-skin contact are taking precautions to prevent contracting the strain of the staph infection known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

At least three area gyms said they plan to put up signs encouraging patrons to disinfect equipment with sanitizing wipes before and after use. The gyms, run by Life Time Fitness, are cleaned daily by staff, with some pieces of equipment scrubbed more frequently, but managers said their hope is that customers will pitch in.

"Our company was founded on the principle of cleanliness," said Life Time Fitness spokesman Jason Thunstrom. "So part of our attraction, especially when you hear of stuff like MRSA, are facilities that are sparkling clean. We want to keep that up."

Reports of the stubborn staph infection began circulating several weeks ago, and concerns were heightened this week after the death of a Bedford County, Va., student.

Soon schools in the region were reporting students with confirmed cases of the infection and others with suspected cases. In a newly reported case, the University of Maryland said yesterday that a student has been hospitalized with a suspected case of MRSA.

Spokesman Millree Williams said the university learned of the case yesterday and does not know the condition of the student. He said the area of the dormitory where the student lives was disinfected. Meanwhile, the College Park campus is posting a list of frequently asked questions and tips for good hygiene that could help prevent transmission of infections.

"We're trying to err on the side of caution," Williams said.

There have been reports of staph at schools in Anne Arundel, Howard and Montgomery counties in Maryland, and in Fairfax and Prince William counties and Alexandria in Virginia. In the District, four cases have been confirmed, officials said yesterday. Three of those occurred over the summer, including two teachers at Drew Elementary in Northeast. After the diagnosis, the teachers were treated and cleared to return by the time school started in late August.

A student at H.D. Woodson Senior High School in Northeast also contracted the infection, but school officials would say only that he had been treated.

At Davis Elementary School in Southeast, a teacher with a confirmed case also was cleared to return to work. Her classroom was disinfected, but health officials said the entire school was not cleaned.

One of the teachers at Drew Elementary, Cheryl Pryor, said she contracted the infection when she cut her leg on a dusty wooden crate in the school's book room in late July. Two days later, she had a lesion that would not heal. She was treated with antibiotics before it was diagnosed as the virulent staph. Pryor said she won't go back in the room because it has not been cleaned. She said her colleague who contracted the infection worked in the same room.

"Our main concern is the health of the other staff members and the children in that school," Pryor said. "Something needs to be done. Why wasn't something done to clean that area? That's not right."

School officials said the city Health Department is looking at Drew to make sure it is sanitized.

Beyond schools, other places are taking precautions.

The D.C. fire department disinfected its training academy in Southwest after three recruits reported skin infections, one of which was confirmed as MRSA.

"With the kind of training down there, you often get scrapes and cuts, and the recruits are all sharing a common locker room," fire spokesman Tony Dorsey said. "So we had the recruits scrub it all down . . . the common areas, the latrines and cafeteria tables . . . anywhere this kind of bacteria might get into skin."

Health officials say drug-resistant staph is becoming more common, affecting otherwise healthy people more often. Athletes in sports that require skin contact are especially susceptible. Although most infections are mild, the methicillin-resistant strain can turn a cut into a swollen, hard-to-heal wound. Such an infection might at first seem to be a pimple or spider bite. If it becomes invasive, a person can get fever, chills and shortness of breath. The infection, confirmed through a skin or blood culture, requires treatment with antibiotics and is curable.

Staph anxieties have led people and businesses to look at their hygiene and shore up supplies of antibacterial wipes and disinfectants.

"We're getting a lot of calls from schools, colleges, hospitals and universities," said Jon Barrett, sales manager for ICM, a regional cleaning service.

Staff writers Theola Labb¿, Susan Kinzie and Yolanda Woodlee contributed to this report.