Outbreaks of a drug-resistant strain of staph infection among students likely have little to do with the cleanliness of school environments, a Virginia Department of Health official said today.

Cases of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – or MRSA – have alarmed school communities and parents, particularly since the death last week of a Bedford County teenager who, according to his mother, had been diagnosed with an invasive form of the infection. Bedford County closed schools for cleaning for one day following the student's death, and schools throughout the state have undertaken efforts to sanitize athletic facilities and common areas.

But Dr. Carl Armstrong, the state epidemiologist with the health department, said students with MRSA infections likely acquire the organism elsewhere.

"A lot of your cases in schools really have nothing to do with the school per se," Armstrong said during a press conference. "It's just where we're able to see them. It's important to maintain cleanliness, especially with things that might be shared in the locker room among athletes. But, in general, the emphasis on the environment has been overemphasized. Most of these cases are transmitted directly, person-to-person.

"It's important to keep the locker room clean, yes. But this is not an organism that's going to jump off the top of the locker and infect you. It's not going to come off the blinds and infect you."

Gov. Tim Kaine on Wednesday approved an emergency regulation requiring laboratories to report cased of invasive MRSA infections to the health department. The reporting requirement will allow health officials to compile data on MRSA infections and track any patterns of outbreaks.

The health department also has stepped up efforts to educate the public about MRSA and emphasize prevention measures. Among other things, health officials encourage frequent hand washing, covering open wounds and not sharing personal items such as towels, razors or athletic equipment.

Armstrong said MRSA is a common bacteria and its mode of transmission has not changed "probably for millions of years.

"What has changed is that we can't use the first line of antibiotics that we used to use" to fight infections, Armstrong said.

Armstrong said the death last week of Ashton Bonds, a 17-year-old Staunton River High School student, "Brings a human face to a serious issue."

 "It takes from a statistic to the human element and we offer our consolation to the entire school community and especially the parents," he said.