Classes have been cancelled today at Butler County Community College following a confirmed case of MRSA at the school’s main campus.

Only the main campus on College Drive in Butler is closed; the satellite campuses remain open.

School officials began cancelling classes Tuesday night after being notified late in the afternoon “of an isolated but confirmed case of MRSA,” the college said. The bacteria was found at the main campus Field House.

School officials said they decided to shut down the campus as a proactive measure. The school has contacted the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The college is “moving forward with recommended measures to thoroughly disinfect and stop the potential spread of this skin infection,” school officials said.

MRSA — methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus — is a bacteria that is resistant to many antibiotics. In the community, most MRSA infections are skin infections as opposed to MRSA contracted in hospital or other medical facilities in which infections can lead to serious complications, according to the CDC.

MRSA can be spread by skin-to-skin contact as well as sports equipment and personal hygiene products. Symptoms include skin redness and swelling that looks like a bug or spider bite, a boil or abscess. The area is usually painful and warm to the touch. An infected person also may have a fever. 

First Published: March 30, 2016, 11:18 a.m.