ALERT: LA County Health Department Announcement.

An increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant "Staph" skin infections has been reported throughout Los Angeles County. Cases have occurred in a variety of settings where close personal contact or crowded conditions can facilitate transmission. To protect the health and safety of your staff and patrons, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services has released these guidelines, applicable to dining, restroom and shower areas of any business facility: *Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water. When either soap or water is not available, alcohol-based hand rubs can be used according to label instructions. *Keep skin lesions (e.g., boils, insect bites, open sores or cuts) covered; with a clean dry dressing. *Avoid sharing personal items (e.g. towels, clothing, and soap). *Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces or shared equipment (e.g. tables, chairs, equipment and towels). Staph can cause disfiguring and recurring skin infections that can spread to the bone, blood, lungs (pneumonia) and brain. The contamination of surfaces and equipment (in addition to skin-on-skin contact) and sharing of personal items can also contribute to the transmission of Staph. In businesses where staff and patrons may have bare skin contact with others and share items or surfaces (e.g. clothing, towels, benches, etc.) or where staff and patrons may be sharing close spaces, you should be concerned about the potential transmission of Staph. To learn more about antibiotic resistant Staph/MRSA infections, please visit the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Web site at http://lapublichealth.org/acd/MRSA.htm.