Schools

Infected Student Impacts Farmingdale State

College reports commuter diagnosed with MRSA, forcing a campus alert and cleaning.

Farmingdale State College issued an alert Thursday that a commuter student has contracted MRSA, a bacterial infection that has forced a campus cleanup.

"There is no evidence that the student contracted MRSA from any location of the campus," Farmingdale State President Hubert Keen said in a statement. "But with the safety and health of our students, faculty, and staff uppermost in our minds, we are taking all possible precautions."

Those include the cleaning of certain classrooms and athletic facilities, college officials said.

Find out what's happening in Farmingdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

MRSA is a staph infection that is resistant to some common antibiotics, Newsday reported. It begins on the skin and can be dangerous if it enters the blood stream.

Public health officials advise good hygiene and avoid sharing personal items such as towels and razors to prevent the bacteria's spread, Newsday reported.

The diagnosis was made by the student's family physician. The student is home and "doing well," Keen said.

A student at LIU Post in Brookville was also diagnosed with the infection on Wednesday.


Find out what's happening in Farmingdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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