MRSA staph eyed in Brooklyn student's death

(New York - WABC, October 25, 2007) (WABC) -- The New York City Department of Education says a 7th grade student at I.S. 211 in Canarsie, Brooklyn may have died from an MRSA staph infection.

The City Health Department says the student died on October 14th and the school was notified on the 22nd.

They released the following statement:

"The Health Department has learned of a case of MRSA infection (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in a student at IS 211. The student died, and the infection is a probable cause. "

"Everybody worried about it. Everybody trying to stay healthy, avoid it ... everybody sad about what happened ... everybody trying to avoid it themselves," a student told us.

Eyewitness News reporter Jim Dolan has more.

Twelve-year-old Omar Rivera was a healthy, athletic boy with a six foot frame. Last week he got sick.

"He had something on his back ... and then he started getting sick," a student said.

That something on his back was a staph infection that even with medical attention killed him in days.

"Staph infections are not uncommon to have ... most are skin conditions which are easily treatable and rarely cause deaths. This was a situation, a rare situation, but certainly an unfortunate situation," said Dr. Don Weiss of the NYC Health Department.

At the school, officials would not talk to Eyewitness News, but they did advise students to wash their hands to avoid sharing personal items like towels and always cover open sores.

Parents were not impressed with the level of outreach.

"The school didn't tell us nothing ... didn't tell us nothing," one parent told us.

The Health Department says they have "no reason to believe that other children or school employees are at increased risk of Staph infection. The Health Department has medical staff and mental health professionals available at the school to help answer questions and provide support to students, parents, and staff."

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