ROME - A serious type of bacteria affects two students in Rome. School officials are taking an aggressive approach to preventing others from getting it.

Staph infections shut down 21 schools in Virginia after a student died from a serious form of the bacteria known as MRSA this week.

Locally, health officials have said parents should remain calm but take this seriously. Of the population that has Staph bacteria on their skin, and while some can live with it, others can get serious infections from it, especially the anti-biotic-resistant MRSA strain.

In Rome, two students in the school district contracted it. While information on how they got it isn't being released, schools officials are taking steps to keep others from getting MRSA, including sending a letter to parents highlighting the facts on MRSA.

"We've had our elementary school nurses share information with our teachers as to steps they can take to ensure that the bacteria doesn't spread," said Jeffrey Simons, superintendent of Rome schools.

Staph infections are generally spread through skin-to-skin contact, sometimes from open wounds and poor hygiene. The infections can turn from a minor skin problem into a pimples, boils, blood infections or pneumonia according to the CDC.

While MRSA can result in significant infections to those who contract the bacteria, the easiest way to prevent it is to take care of cuts and scrapes, as well as to wash your hands.

"The best way to prevent a wound if you have MRSA is to keep the wound covered and make sure you practice good hand washings, and see your doctor so the wound can be cultured to find the correct bacteria to treat it," said Hallie Gabriel of the Oneida County Health Department.

The school district's custodial staff will be asked to thoroughly clean each inch of the district's schools this weekend.

And continued communication between the district and county health department is expected.