Parents and students have been hearing about outbreaks of the MRSA staph infection in recent days. MRSA is being blamed for the death of a high school student in Virginia. There have also been several reports of MRSA at schools in the Capital Region.

Here is a state Health Department link link that should help further explain this staph infection and how to deal with it.
Here is a fact sheet about MRSA information from the Centers for Disease Control.

Here is a letter from the Southern Tier Pediatrics practice to school district's in the Elmira area that summarizes the threats and issues regarding MRSA in an easy-to-understand manner. The file is a PDF.

Please contact your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

Please take this opportunity to speak to your children about the importance of proper hand washing and other cleanliness in and out of school.