Dance studios close due to MRSA outbreak
Two dance studios in the Mason Gross School of the Arts closed yesterday after the center was notified that one of the dancers was infected with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
MRSA is a type of staph infection that can cause such mild symptoms as skin boils or sores but can also be life-threatening. MRSA is also sometimes called the "super-bug" because it is resistant to many antibiotics.
Vice President of Facilities and Capital Planning Antonio Calcado said after being notified, his office took the necessary precautions to exterminate any contamination.
"Essentially, there were two buildings we disinfected, every square inch of them, [which were] the Corwin Lodge and the Nicholas Music Center [on Douglass campus]," he said.
Calcado said his department disinfected the two studios midday yesterday, making sure to disinfect every part that could potentially hold the bacteria.
"Basically, everything is sprayed down. Furniture, tabletops, floors to walls," he said. "Everything that is in those rooms is saturated with disinfectant."
There is a waiting period for the disinfectant to work in order to make sure the two studios are safe for dancing students to re-enter, Calcado said.
Dealing with such contaminations in University buildings is time-tested, Calcado said, adding he was not worried the studios would be ready to go by tomorrow.
"There should be no issue," he said. "Our department is familiar with it so we don't think it should be a problem."
Some dance students in the Mason Gross School of the Arts were unclear on what exactly happened in the two studios but just knew there was a threat of MRSA.
Betsy Stewart, a Mason Gross School of the Arts sophomore, said she and her peers were notified midday yesterday the two studios needed to be closed because of a MRSA threat.
"They closed down the entire studio because of MRSA and how it can spread through open wounds," she said. "Since we are modern dancers, we dance barefoot and they just wanted to get a thorough clean before we got back to dance tomorrow so none of us have dance classes until 12:35 tomorrow."
Until she heard from her professor about the closing, Stewart had no idea someone had MRSA and is still unclear on where it came from.
"I don't know who has it and I don't know how it got into the building. I don't know if it was just Mason Gross or University-wide," she said. "I just know that for us, we are at high risk of getting it ... because we do get splits in our feet from dancing."
Lauren Pompey, a Mason Gross School of the Arts junior, said she was also unclear on what exactly was going on with the dance studios and learned about it after her morning class.
"I don't know who had it but they just said they had to disinfect the studios," she said. "We had to leave class five minutes early and we all assembled and one of the professors told us about it."
Pompey said she is not afraid of contracting the "super-bug." She just needs to take the necessary precautions before entering the studios.
"If you have cuts or bruises or anything, you have to make sure its covered and we're not permitted to walk around barefoot," she said. "When we are done with classes, we have to wear shoes in the hallway and maintain proper hygiene."
Stewart echoed Pompey's words, saying she is not afraid of becoming infected.
"We were told to clean and put peroxide on our open wounds and make sure they are covered when we come to class," she said. "If [the buildings] are getting cleaned, then hopefully it is OK."
