School Officials Warn Parents of New MRSA Case

Hauppauge school officials have notified district parents that there is a confirmed student case of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus at , for the third time in under a year.

Superintendent Patricia Sullivan-Kriss sent a letter out to residents sharing the details of the MRSA case and the district's response.

The Oct. 5 letter reads, "Our district has just been notified that there is a confirmed case of MRSA in the High School. In response to this, the district acted upon protocols developed to help guard against the spread of this bacterial infection including sanitizing of instructional areas." 

Read the superintendent's entire letter sent home to parents on the district's website.

Parents and guardians are asked to remind children and teens about basic hygiene habits including frequently washing their hands, keeping cuts and sores clean, and avoiding sharing personal items. 

Anyone who believes their child might have contracted MRSA, with symptoms that may include a fever and can appear as a boil, rash or pimple, are encouraged  to see a doctor and be tested. Anyone who is diagnosed should to contact the school nurse as the school district is tracking cases.

This is the third confirmed case of MRSA at Hauppauge High School in less than a year. Junior wrestler was hospitalized at Stony Brook University Children's Hospital on Jan. 30 when he contracted MRSA that developed into  Lemierre's syndrome, a rare but deadly bacterial infection in the mouth or throat spread through the circulatory system. He was in the hospital for nearly a month before returning home to continue recovery. Mauriello has returned to competitive sports, playing for the fall varsity boys volleyball team.

Details regarding the case at Hauppauge High School were not released by the school district in compliance with the federal Health Information Privacy Protection Act.