TACOMA - Health officials and school leaders are trying to calm fears about the spread of MRSA in Tacoma.

The Tacoma School District acknowledges 10 reported cases at schools in the last month, including one at Point Defiance Elementary last week.

The illness has made headlines in recent weeks after the bacteria killed a man at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and a handful of local schools reported students had been infected.

"What we're seeing is that our communities are becoming very fearful and in a panic mode," said Leanna Albrecht, a spokesperson for Tacoma schools.

The district says custodians disinfected Point Defiance Elementary and class was not affected.

"We as normal operating procedure disinfect areas where kids are on a daily basis and that's areas like lunchrooms, restrooms, areas where kids congregate," Albrecht.

The MRSA bacteria is spread by skin-to-skin contact and can look like a spider bite, or boil.

Tacoma Pierce County Health says it is rather common and treatable.

"It not unusual um, we consider it sort of like the flu," said Lois Lux, an epidemiologist with the department. "Twice as many people die from the flu each year, and MRSA is half that - we need to get some perspective, this is out of control right now."

The Tacoma School District is sending home letters to educate parents about the situation and to remind people how to avoid infection - particularly by washing hands, and showering or bathing after physical activity.

The school district says the 10 cases were in different locations and the people who were infected are just fine.

The health department doesn't classify something as an "outbreak" unless there are three or more cases in one class.

Several other local cases of MRSA have been reported in recent days.

In Edmonds, a third-grader at Holy Rosary School has been diagnosed with the infection and the school is closed until next week.

The Snoqualmie School District says a Mount Si High School student has been diagnosed and is doing well.

The Kent School District reports three MRSA cases - two at Kent lake High, and one at Mattson Middle School.

And last week, a student at Port Townsend High School was diagnosed with MRSA, forcing the cancellation of the school's season-ender football game.