Northville School Scrubs Locker Rooms As Teen Is Treated For MRSA

NORTHVILLE (WWJ) - Officials at Northville High School says they've scrubbed down the team's locker rooms and are monitoring the situation as a student-athlete is being treated for a MRSA infection.

Dr. Eric McGrath, an infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital of Michigan, says many people carry the MRSA bacteria on their skin.

It's normally only transmitted through close contact, which is why infections are more common in athletic settings.

"If you have, like, an open wound or a break in the skin, and you happen to pick it up through skin to skin contact somehow, you could go on to develop an infection," McGrath told WWJ Health Reporter Sean Lee.

A MRSA infection may start with a dime sized spot on the skin, which requires treatment with antibiotics.

The school district was informed Monday about a student in the Northville High School athletic program who has the infection. The student's parent notified the district after they received confirmation from the student's family doctor.

This case is separate from one reported last month in Northville — however both students were involved in athletics, officials said. The students' names have not been released.

McGrath said these infections at Northville High shouldn't be a huge cause of concern for students and parents. He said the best way to protect kids from infection is to make sure they practice good hygiene, keep cuts bandaged and avoid sharing athletic equipment or towels.

The best way to avoid contracting the virus is frequent hand-washing.

Check out Prevention Information and Advice for Athletes from the CDC.