Schools across Clallam County and Jefferson County haven’t hit the panic button about MRSA infections, but they’ve given the button – and all other shared surfaces – an extra-careful cleaning.
MRSA has infected a senior football player at Port Townsend High School, and an adult who came into contact with the Grant Street Elementary School preschool in Port Townsend.
And lab results are awaited on a second football player who might have contracted the staph infection.
Coincidentally to the Port Townsend cases, the King County medical examiner’s office said a 46-year-old Federal Way man died Wednesday of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus – the medical name for the acronym MRSA, pronounced MUR-sa.
It was not known how John Jones contracted the bacteria infection, the King County office said.
Port Townsend High School canceled its scheduled Saturday football game against Steilacoom at Jefferson County Memorial Field.
Other schools on the North Olympic Peninsula didn’t take such drastic measures, but officials said Friday that they’ve stepped up routine cleaning of locker rooms, showers, counters and classrooms.
They also stressed to staff and students the importance of hand washing – the first and possibly best defense against the potentially life-threatening germ.
