Parkville YMCA deep cleans after MRSA reported

PARKVILLE, Mo. - The playground inside the Platte County Community Center South YMCA in Parkville, Mo., handles hundreds of kids every day. While it's usually a fun and safe environment, the YMCA said a child recently playing there has been diagnosed with a dangerous, contagious infection.

Parents notified the YMCA their child, who had been playing at the "Child Watch" playground on Friday and Saturday, tested positive for a Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) staph infection. MRSA usually surfaces as a skin staph infection and can turn fatal according to the Centers for Disease Control.

YMCA staff got word early on Tuesday, e-mailed its members that night and quickly went to work.

"We do a regular cleaning every day in between every shift," said YMCA district vice president Garry Linn. "But we just did the even deeper cleaning with a CDC-recommended bleach-based water solution."

Linn said the playground is now safe for children. YMCA members said they are satisfied with the staff's response.

"We've been coming here as a family since really it opened and I have not really seen anything that would ever concern me at this facility for cleanliness," said member Richard Carrizzo.

Linn said this incident can be a teaching moment for children.

"The best thing to do is what the CDC recommends, is just practicing great hygiene, teaching the habits of good hand washing," Linn said.

He said the child's parents report the child is doing well and no other parents have reported an infection in their children.