Officials in Queensland Elementary School in New York ordered a massive clean-up of its surroundings and classrooms as they confirmed that four siblings, who are students of the institution were diagnosed on Friday with a deadly drug-resistant staph infection.

The names of the students were not disclosed, but school officials sent letters to all parents to take the precautionary measures and to be observant of the health condition of their children

The recent outbreak of staph infections in schools throughout the country is serving to bring to the spotlight the importance of routine, thorough cleaning and targeted disinfection of buildings where a large number of people constantly live, work or play. This includes schools, office buildings and hospitals. Researchers and health officials are going on the offensive and stressing to the public that bacteria and viruses such as salmonella, E. Coli, influenza and staph can be brought into the home and live on hard surfaces such as kitchen and bathroom counters, doorknobs and stair rails, it is important to clean and disinfect the home using the proper products as well.

Health officials are not the only ones reacting to the deadly outbreak of viral diseases. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) said Sunday he will introduce legislation next week to improve the prevention and treatment of infections, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA

The recent outbreak of staph infections in schools throughout the country is serving to bring to the spotlight the importance of routine, thorough cleaning and targeted disinfection of buildings where a large number of people constantly live, work or play. This includes schools, office buildings and hospitals. Researchers and health officials are going on the offensive and stressing to the public that bacteria and viruses such as salmonella, E. Coli, influenza and staph can be brought into the home and live on hard surfaces such as kitchen and bathroom counters, doorknobs and stair rails, it is important to clean and disinfect the home using the proper products as well.

Chris Cathcart, President of the Consumer Specialty Products Association said, "Hand washing is an important deterrent to disease transmission, but disinfecting cleaning products kill bacteria and viruses that soap and water alone will not

With the recent rise in deadly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, outbreaks in schools and other community settings nationwide, health officials are reminding us to all to be mindful of germs and cleanliness. The recent MRSA outbreaks has also brought the issue of hospital hygiene to the forefront.

Staph bacteria are normally present on the skin and in the nose of many healthy people without causing any health problems. However, if staph enters the body through cuts or abrasions on the skin, it can cause an infection. MRSA is a form of staph that is resistant to certain antibiotic treatments like methicillin

drug-resistant, flesh-eating super bug kills more Americans than the AIDS virus, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warns.

The potentially fatal germ that enters the bloodstream has escaped its hospital setting, the CDC said Tuesday in its first overall estimate of the invasive disease