“Superbug” season is here and the need for facility managers to protect their staff and visitors from the spread of bacteria is real. The recent outbreak at a public high school in Bostoni, where four students were diagnosed with Community-Associated MRSA staph infections, is just one illustration of the need for careful and consistent cleaning and disinfection. 

The most virulent of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria are CRKP and MRSA. CRKP, carbapenem-resistant klebsiella pneumoniae, is found almost exclusively in healthcare settings where it tends to attack the elderlyii. MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureas) on the other hand, is a type of Staph bacteria on the skin and in the nose that is found in two types: the more common healthcare-associated strain and the less-frequent and newer Community-Associated strain, contracted by otherwise healthy people outside of a healthcare setting. Community-Associated MRSA is a newer type of MRSA and the one primarily causing outbreaks among otherwise healthy people in schools, sports and fitness facilities and locker rooms.

The students at the Boston school were athletes who may have been infected in the locker room, further emphasizing the need to pay close attention to surfaces in locations where there is frequent skin-to-skin contact. Examples include fitness clubs, daycare centers, schools and office settings.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued guidelines to help facility managers identify their buildings’ most vulnerable areas. These include locations where one or more factors –  known as the Five C’s – exist: crowding, skin-to-skin contact, compromised skin (open cuts or abrasions), contaminated items and surfaces and lack of cleanliness. The CDC emphasizes surfaces in the Five C’s because MRSA has been known to survive on tables, counters and benches for more than six months*. 

As threatening as the antibiotic-resistant bacteria sound, preventing the spread of them is not mysterious. CRKP is most easily avoided through the practice of frequent hand-washing, which regrettably is more easily prescribed than followed. MRSA can be eradicated by using an EPA-registered disinfectant on hard surfaces like new Clorox^® Broad Spectrum Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner, a non-bleach and fragrance free quaternary spray, which has a kill time against MRSA in two minutes.iii

Cleaning professionals should clean and disinfect frequently-touched areas regularly as well as surfaces where germs can survive such as faucets, door handles, bathrooms and lockers. Workers should pay particular attention to high-risk devices like hot tubs, exercise equipment, exercise mats and steam rooms.

No unusual cleaning methods are generally necessary; simply spray, mop, or wipe down surfaces with a disinfectant per its label instructions, and then wipe off the excess cleaner.