School Sports Teams and MRSA

An eighteen year old Florida football player died the last week in September with a diagnosis of MRSA. He was a starting linebacker. A second case was diagnosed at the same high school from a fellow team member. MRSA is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, staph bacteria that can cause a skin infection, which in rare cases can be deadly. MRSA is a common skin infection. However, it can sometimes be very resistant to antibiotics.

There is a National MRSA Education Initiative to educate the public on this disease and preventive measures. MRSA can be transmitted by direct contact with a person infected with the skin disease. MRSA is also transmitted by sharing personal unclean items such as towels in a locker room, uniforms, or razors which have touched infected skin. Teens and children often times share these items after play sports or physical activity. MRSA is reported in high physical contact sports such as wrestling, football, and rugby. It is also reported in players of other sports like soccer, basketball, field hockey, volleyball, rowing, martial arts, fencing, and baseball. Any skin contact can lead to MRSA. Basically, some settings have factors that make it easier for MRSA to be transmitted: Crowding, frequent skin-to-skin Contact, Compromised skin (i.e., cuts or abrasions), Contaminated items and surfaces, and lack of Cleanliness. Place where transmissions are common include schools, dormitories, military barracks, households, correctional facilities, and daycare centers. Teachers, coaches, and athletics directors who observe children with open draining wounds or infections should refer the child to the school nurse. Enforce hand hygiene with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers (if available) before eating and after using the bathroom.

Kids participating in any organized or recreational activities should be aware of the symptoms. Most staph skin infections, including MRSA, appear as a bump or infected area on the skin that may be: red, swollen, painful, warm to the touch, full of pus or other drainage, and accompanied by a fever.

The best way to protect against MRSA is to practice common sense and good personal hygiene. Keep your hands clean by washing frequently with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub. At a minimum, hands should be cleaned before and after playing sports and activities such as using shared weight-training equipment, when caring for wounds including changing bandages, and after using the toilet. Both plain and antimicrobial soap are effective for hand washing, but liquid soap is preferred over bar soap in these settings to limit sharing. If hands are not visibly dirty and sinks are not available for hand washing, for example, while on the field of play or in the weight-room, alcohol-based hand rubs and sanitizers can be used. Alcohol-based hand rubs with at least 60% alcohol content are preferred. Shower immediately after exercise. Do not share bar soap and towels. Wash your uniform and clothing after each use. Follow the clothing label's instructions for washing and drying. Drying clothes completely in a dryer is preferred. Do not share personal items. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels and razors that contact your bare skin. Do not share ointments that are applied by placing your hands into an open-container. Use a barrier (such as clothing or a towel) between your skin and shared equipment like weight-training, sauna and steam-room benches. This is a smart thing for adults to consider at gyms and spas.

"Prevention of MRSA in the Athletic Setting" Is a short video reviewing the information above. Just click the link. It's provided by the Mecklenburg County Health Department.