Bangor Township Schools Health Information

 

Edison Administration Building
3359 E. Midland Rd. -
Telephone: 989-684-8121 - Fax: 989-684-6000
 

 

WEBSITES -  www.flu.gov , www.cdc.gov, www.michigan.gov/mdch, www.cdc.gov/drugresistance, http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools/

MRSA quick link, New Link:  Current H1N1 activity

 H1N1/SWINE FLU INFORMATION - In and effort to get the latest information to you we will publish updates as often as we receive them.

 H1N1 Influenza Virus- School Update

What is it?  Novel influenza (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that first caused illness in Mexico and the United States in March and April, 2009. It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread, mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus, but it may also be spread by touching infected objects and then touching your nose or mouth.

 How is it transmitted?  H1N1 is spread from person to person when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or talks into the air and the other person inhales the virus.  The virus enters the nose, throat or lungs of that person, begins to multiply and symptoms develop.  For some individuals, these symptoms show up in 24 hours; while others take up to seven days.  Once symptoms show, a person is still contagious for up to seven more days.

Treatment is Available for Those Who Are Seriously III

It is expected that most people will recover without needing medical care.

If you have severe illness or you are at high risk for flu complications, contact your health care provider or seek medical care. Your health care provider will Photo of sick childdetermine whether flu testing or treatment is needed. Be aware that if the flu becomes widespread, less testing will be needed, so your health care provider may decide not to test for the flu virus.

Antiviral drugs can be given to treat those who become severely ill with influenza. These antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) with activity against influenza viruses, including novel H1N1 flu virus. These medications must be prescribed by a health care professional.

There are two influenza antiviral medications that are recommended for use against novel H1N1 flu. The drugs that are used for treating novel H1N1 flu are called oseltamivir (trade name Tamiflu ®) and zanamivir (Relenza ®). As the novel H1N1 flu spreads, these antiviral drugs may become in short supply. Therefore, the drugs may be given first to those people who have been hospitalized or are at high risk of severe illness from flu. The drugs work best if given within 2 days of becoming ill, but may be given later if illness is severe or for those at a high risk for complications.

Aspirin or aspirin-containing products (e.g., bismuth subsalicylate – Pepto Bismol) should not be administered to any confirmed or suspected ill case of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection aged 18 years old and younger due to the risk of Reye’s syndrome. For relief of fever, other anti-pyretic medications are recommended such as acetaminophen or non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. For more information about Reye’s syndrome, visit the National Institute of Health websiteExternal Web Site Icon.

  • Check ingredient labels on over-the-counter cold and flu medications to see if they contain aspirin.
  • Children 5 years of age and older and teenagers with the flu can take medicines without aspirin, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) and ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, Nuprin®), to relieve symptoms.
  • Children younger than 4 years of age should NOT be given over-the-counter cold medications without first speaking with a health care provider. 

Emergency Warning Signs

If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

  • Fast breathing or trouble breathing
  • Bluish or gray skin color
  • Not drinking enough fluids
  • Severe or persistent vomiting
  • Not waking up or not interacting
  • Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
  • Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough


In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
  • Sudden dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Severe or persistent vomiting
  • Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

 Vaccination:

For H1N1 virus the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that certain groups of the population receive the novel H1N1 vaccine when it first becomes available. These key populations include pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, and people ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for novel H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

 Treatment:   Treatment consists of resting in bed, drinking plenty of fluids, and taking fever reducing medications such as acetaminophen.  Antibiotics are not effective in treating influenza. Moreover, children with flu should not take aspirin as it isn’t a safe treatment for combating a viral infection and can result in Reyes syndrome: a neurological disorder occurring almost exclusively in children. 

 Preventing Influenza: 

·      Educate students on respiratory etiquette- ongoing reminders about covering coughs and sneezes (sneeze in your sleeve).

·      Model and practice good hand hygiene and provide time and supplies to wash hands as needed.

·      Provide easy access to tissues, running water and soap, or alcohol-based cleaners.

·      Send sick students and staff home. They should stay home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever (this should be determined without the use of fever reducing medications).

·      If students or faculty become sick at school, move them to a separate room until they can be sent home. Limit the number of staff who take care of an ill child and provide a surgical mask for the sick person to wear (if they can tolerate it).

·      Have Personal Protective Equipment such as masks available and ensure it is worn by school nurses and other staff caring for sick individuals as school.

·      Clean surfaces and items that are have frequent hand contact. These are usually doorknobs, computer keyboards, toys, etc.

·      Encourage sick students and staff at higher risk for complications from flu to get a medical evaluation as soon as possible

·      Consider dismissing school if a large proportion of staff is at higher risk of flu-related complications. This strategy would be applicable to very few schools nationwide. This strategy would be more appropriate in schools for pregnant women and schools with many medically fragile children.

 
Information for this fact sheet from: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/#statelocal  
For more information go to:  www.flu.gov  or www.cdc.gov

FACTS . . . Staph Infection and MRSA 

 What is Staphylococcus aureus (staph)?

Staphylococcus aureus, often called “staph” is a common type of bacteria carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people.  Approximately 25% to 30% of the population have this bacteria present in their nose.  Sometimes, staph can cause an infection.  Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the United States.

 

What is MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)?  MRSA is a type of staph that is resistant to antibiotics.

 

What is Community-Associated MRSA (CA-MRSA)?  MRSA infections that are acquired by persons who have not been recently hospitalized or had a medical procedure (such as dialysis, surgery, catheters) are known as CA-MRSA infections.  Staph or MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people.

 

What are the symptoms of staph?  Staph bacteria, including MRSA, can cause skin infections that may look like a pimple or boil.  It can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage.  More serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or surgical wound infections.

 

How is staph or MRSA treated?  Most staph and MRSA infections are treatable with antibiotics.  If you are given an antibiotic, take all of the doses, even if the infection is getting better, unless your doctor tells you to stop taking it.  Do not share antibiotics with other people or save unfinished antibiotics to use at another time.

 

Many staph infections may be treated by draining the abscess or boil and may not require antibiotics.  Drainage of skin boils or abscesses should only be done by a healthcare provider.

 

 

Text Box: How can I get more information on staph and MRSA? For more information on staph and MRSA go to www.michigan.gov/mdch, www.cdc.gov/drugresistance, http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools/ or www.bangorschools.org and click on the MRSA link on the home page.

 

 How can you prevent staph or MRSA?

 

·         Clean your hands.  You and others in close contact, should wash hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.

 

·         Cover your wound.  Keep wounds that are draining or have pus covered with clean, dry bandages.  Pus from infected wounds can contain staph and MRSA, so keeping the infection covered will help prevent the spread to others.

 

·         Do not share personal items.  Avoid sharing personal items such as soap, towels, washcloths, razors, clothing, or uniforms that may have had contact with the infected wound or bandage.  Wash sheets, towels, and clothes that become soiled in water and laundry detergent.  Drying clothes in a hot dryer, rather than air-drying also helps kill bacteria in clothes.

 

What is Bangor Township Schools doing to minimize exposure?

 Bangor Township Schools take an active approach in controlling potentially contagious outbreaks.

 Given the recent media coverage on the outbreaks of antibiotic resistant staph infections (MRSA) through schools nationwide in recent weeks, we want to keep you informed of our current practices to minimize the chance of this occurring in our schools.

 Bangor Township Schools use a product made by Betco called “Quat-Stat” which is a hospital grade disinfectant. This product is designed to disinfect and clean surfaces, killing germs that may cause this infection as well as other viruses (HVB, HIV-1 {Aids virus}). We have reviewed our processes to ensure that everyone is following the product decontamination procedures and the MDCH (Michigan Department of Community Health) guidelines and believe there is no cause for alarm in any of our buildings. If you have any questions please call 989-684-8121.