Ranking member of PGFD is being treated for suspected case of MRSA. Official is assigned to training academy.

STATter 911 has learned a ranking member of the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department is being treated for what officials suspect is MRSA. MRSA is the sometimes deadly “superbug”, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

According to sources not in a position to comment publicly, the official is assigned to PGFD’s training academy. The sources tell STATter 911 that recruits and the academy’s staff were briefed on Friday about the situation. An infection control officer advised people what to look for and how to prevent the spread of the infection.

Over the last two weeks, the training academy for DC Fire & EMS was decontaminated twice because of a staph outbreak among recruits. DC officials never confirmed publicly if the staph infection was the antibiotic-resistant strain.

Last year, a Prince George’s County Police Department training facility dealt with a staph outbreak. In an effort to get that situation under control, members of a recruit class were sent home for two weeks.

A spokesman for PGFD could not comment on this latest incident.