Oskaloosa Superintendent Jon Pfau said Tuesday the school district was notifying parents and cleaning facilities following a confirmed case of staph infection.

“We are sending information home with the students,” Pfau said. “We’ve been working closely with the Jefferson County Health Department to follow recommendations on how to handle the situation.”

School and health officials could not say whether the case was the staph superbug – methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA – that has caused alarm nationally.

Jefferson County Health Department Director Eileen Filbert said the agency has provided the district with information for how to respond to cases of MRSA. She said the district’s response would be the same regardless of the strain.

Pfau, who would not disclose which building the case was reported in, said the district was cleaning tables, floors and other surfaces in all of the schools in preparation for school today.

He said the district, which has about 600 students and is located about 21 miles northwest of Lawrence, is also checking to see whether there are any additional cases of infection.

MRSA is spread primarily by direct skin-to-skin human contact or contact with a draining, infected wound. People with a break in their skin are particularly at risk of picking it up. The bacteria may also occasionally be spread through contact with contaminated surfaces or items. Staph is not airborne.

MRSA picked up its name because it is resistant to common forms of antibiotics, but several stronger antibiotics do work in treating the infection.