JUPITER, Fla. — Jupiter Elementary School was scrubbed and sanitized Monday afternoon after the school district learned a person who occasionally visits the school was diagnosed with MRSA.
According to the district, the person "has very limited movement within the school" and confirmed that this does not mean MRSA is present at the campus.
Beginning Monday afternoon, the Department of Environmental and Conservation Services scrubbed and sanitized portions of Jupiter Elementary School that the person may have visited.
The visitor's affiliation with the campus is unknown at this time.
The sanitizing method is part of the protocol dictated by the Florida Department of Health. This sanitation effort was expected to be completed before the start of school Tuesday. The school is open as normal.
Suncoast Community High School in Riviera Beachand William T. Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens have also been scrubbed and sanitized recently.
MRSA is an infection that is transmitted primarily through skin-to-skin contact and by contact with surfaces that have come into contact with another person's infection.
Advice For Parents
How can I protect my family from MRSA skin infections?
- Know the signs of MRSA skin infections and get treated early
- Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered
- Encourage good hygiene such as cleaning hands regularly
- Discourage sharing of personal items such as towels and razors
What are the signs and symptoms?
Most staph skin infections, including MRSA, appear as a bump or infected area on the skin that may be:
- Red
- Swollen
- Painful
- Warm to the touch
- Full of pus or other drainage
- Accompanied by a fever