Ashe County Dist Attorney

MRSA case confirmed at Ashe County Jail



Appalachian District Health Department has confirmed one current case of MRSA at Ashe County Jail. Health department staff has also confirmed that the Ashe County Sheriff and jail staff have addressed the situation with cleaning supplies, techniques, and procedures to appropriately address MRSA.



Jail Captain Sharon Price said that there is another inmate being treated with antibiotics and responding well, and has been tested for MRSA with no results yet.



According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Staph is Staphylococcus aureus or a type of bacteria that can cause infections ranging from skin to severe blood infections. MRSA or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a type of staph that is resistant to certain antibiotics. Staph and MRSA in the community usually cause skin infections that often first look like spider bites or bumps that are red, swollen, and painful. They might also be filled with pus. Cuts and scrapes and areas of the body that are covered by hair, like the back of your neck, groin, buttock, armpit, or inner thighs are common places where these skin infections appear. Both staph and MRSA skin infections are able to be treated.



Staph and MRSA infections are usually spread by having contact with someone’s skin infection or personal items they have used, like towels, bandages, or razors that touched their infected skin. These infections are most likely to be spread in places where people are in close contact with others — for instance, schools and locker rooms where athletes might share razors or towels.



As with other germs, staph and MRSA can survive on some surfaces for hours, days or even months, but it all depends on factors like temperature, humidity, the amount of germs present, and the type of surface (is it porous like a sponge or nonporous like plastic?). It also depends on whether these surfaces have nutrients to allow it to survive longer. When surfaces aren’t cleaned and conditions are good for bacterial growth, staph and MRSA is more likely to survive for longer periods.



To keep surfaces free from staph and MRSA, the CDC recommends the following steps:



Cover your infections. Covering infections with bandages or dressings is the best way to keep surfaces from becoming contaminated with staph and MRSA.



Clean your hands often. Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub when a sink is not available. Always clean your hands after changing bandages or touching infected skin.



Keep the environment clean. Regularly clean frequently touched surfaces and other items that come into direct contact with infected skin.



In gyms, locker rooms, and other places where many people come and go, repair or throw out equipment and furniture with damaged surfaces cannot be thoroughly cleaned.



Read more: Jefferson Post - MRSA case confirmed at Ashe County Jail