Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Long Beach School District has initiated strict hygiene measures in its schools after a Long Island wrestler recently contracted the potentially deadly staph infection MRSA.
The district is among many on Long Island that are taking stringent precautions after 16-year-old Hauppauge wrestler Nick Mauriello Jr. contracted the bacterial infection and was treated in the intensive care unit at Stony Brook Long Island Children’s Hospital.
The news sparked concern among parents and residents, some of whom brought up the issue at the Feb. 8 Board of Education meeting.
George Krzeminski, an East Market Street resident whose friends have children in the district who wrestle, said after the meeting that the reappearance of MRSA is worrisome. “It’s a concern for parents,” Krzeminski said, describing the infection as “very dangerous” and adding that residents should be made aware of how to prevent it.
“Students and parents should be informed that the district has some type of measure in place…,” Krzeminski said. “You’ll feel that your kid is going into a safe environment.”
School officials said that they are taking all necessary measures to prevent the spread of MRSA. Superintendent Dr. Robert Greenberg said that while the reported infection has created alarm among parents, the district is taking steps to prevent the development and spread of the infection. “We’re on top of it as much as we can be,” Greenberg said.
According to the New York State Department of Health, MRSA — Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus — is a staph infection that resists treatment by antibiotics. While the average child is not at risk of being infected, those who participate in team and contact sports are at risk. Staph can infect a person through skin-to-skin contact, especially when bacteria gets under the skin through cuts or abrasions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most MRSA infections appear on the skin as pustules or boils that are often red, swollen, painful and contain pus. The risk of infection increases if children share personal items, such as towels or razors, the CDC says. Staph-contaminated items and surfaces, crowded conditions and poor personal hygiene — which can be found in school settings — increase the risk.
Several years ago, Greenberg recalled, there was a string of MRSA outbreaks in Nassau County. Since then, he said, the Long Beach school district has instituted strict policies to prevent the development of the infection. “We put in very stringent procedures in the district,” he said, noting that the district promotes good hygiene. One example is the placement of hand sanitizers throughout all school buildings, inside classrooms and in lunchrooms. “We have been practicing prevention,” Greenberg said.
Arnie Epstein, director of health, physical education and athletics, stressed that health and wellness are top priorities in the district. “The wrestling mats are disinfected several times a day,” Epstein said, including before every practice. “This year we utilized an anti-bacterial substance, SurfaceAide, on the practice wrestling mats, the wall mats and in the wrestling locker room, to kill germs and bacteria.”
Nonetheless, the reappearance of MRSA concerns some residents. Teresa Greifenberger, who lives on East Beech Street, has two sons, one in fourth grade and the other in ninth grade, who wrestle. Though she said the district is doing an excellent job in preventing the spread of MRSA, she expressed concern about whether other school districts are doing the same.
“I’m concerned about any kind of bacterial infection,” Greifenberger said, noting that Long Beach wrestlers may be exposed to unsanitary conditions when they travel to other districts to compete. “It’s when you’re going out to other matches and you’re at other places that you’re concerned,” she said, emphasizing that Long Island schools should strictly enforce preventive measures. “I think there’s more exposure for having bacteria coming in from the outside.”
Epstein explained that athletes are constantly encouraged to wash their hands and to shower after practices and games, and that wrestling referees do skin checks before every bout.
“We talk with the kids constantly about hygiene,” he said. “The coaches monitor them carefully.”
Greenberg said he believes the district is doing all it can to keep students safe and healthy. “I’m confident that we’re doing all that we’ve been advised to do by the Department of Health and our school physician,” he said.
What to do:
The New York State Department of Health recommends taking the following steps to avoid developing MRSA and staph
infections:
-Keep your hands clean by washing them thoroughly with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
-Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
-Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.
-Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.
Source: New York State Department of Health
Comments about this story? CEngelhardt@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
