A potentially fatal staph infection has been reported at Logan Middle School.

A parent called The Logan Banner Wednesday morning saying her son had fallen during gym class on the gymnasium floor and scuffed his knee and apparently contracted the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, which is resistant to the broad-spectrum of antibiotics used to treat it, according to the Mayo Clinic's Web site, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735.

"He fell in gym and had a burn on his knee," the parent, who asked to remain nameless, said. "The burn turned into an open wound and he can give this to anyone who comes into contact with him who has an open wound."

The parent said her son was a student at Logan Middle School, but has been transferred to another school in the county.

The student's mother said she has reported the staph infection to the school and the Logan County Board of Education and to the Logan County Health Department.

Logan County Schools Superintendent Wilma Zigmond said she was aware of the infection and is taking all possible precautions to prevent any additional cases of staph in the schools.

"There have been cases of staph reported recently. Countywide, there have been some cases for months," Zigmond said. "There is no outbreak. We tell them to keep their kids home when they're diagnosed like that."

Zigmond said the school doesn't know if students have staph infections until they're diagnosed.

"When they find out they have it, we keep them home," she said. "When they're in the school before they're diagnosed, we can't do anything, because we don't know anything. We've had one or two or three cases of staph a year, but, it's been nothing major. But, the little boy dying in Virginia is going to make everyone real aware. Everyone is going to be paying attention, which they well ought to.

"I sent an email to all our principals and told them that the best defense for all germs is to make sure the children are washing their hands repeatedly," Zigmond said. "It's a practice that you should do on an everyday basis, not just wait until you hear something's going on. The principals need to keep soap and towels in the bathrooms and make sure the kids are washing their hands. The custodians have a disinfectant, CDC10, and they're supposed to make sure they clean the desks good and the doorknobs. I told the principals reminding them that it is the flu season. We don't have a major issue now, but that's not to say we