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MRSA — Staphylococcus aureus that can resist several antibiotics — spreads through skin-to-skin contact and contaminated surfaces, and sports supply both. Skin infections, MRSA among them, are reported most in heavy-contact sports like wrestling, football and rugby, but also in soccer, basketball, field hockey, volleyball, rowing, martial arts, fencing and baseball. Even in low-contact sports it can pass before or after play, so anyone in an athletic setting is at some risk.
Why athletes
- Repeated skin-to-skin contact.
- Cuts and abrasions that, left uncovered, let the bacteria in.
- Shared items and surfaces that touch bare skin.
- Not always being able to shower or wash hands after exercise or shared equipment.
What to look for
Pain at a sore, scrape or cut — sometimes mistaken for a spider bite — along with pus, redness, swelling or warmth. Check skin under body hair and wherever uniforms or gear rub.
See a healthcare provider right away if you think you have an infection; usually only a lab test can tell MRSA from other bacteria. MRSA often needs specific antibiotics and proper wound care, and early treatment prevents worse complications and lost playing time. Tell a parent, coach, athletic trainer, team doctor or provider about any suspected skin infection at once.
How to prevent it
| Keep clean | Wash hands often with soap and water (best when hands are visibly dirty) or use alcohol-based sanitizer — before and after sports, shared weight equipment, wound care and the toilet. Shower right after exercise and before whirlpools, therapy pools or swimming pools |
| Launder properly | Wash uniforms, towels and clothes after every use, following the label, and dry them completely in a dryer, not on a line. Clean your hands after touching dirty clothes |
| Don't share | Towels, washcloths, razors, clothing and uniforms, bar soap, or ointments from open containers |
| Protect skin | Wear protective clothing and gear to prevent injuries |
| Cover wounds | Keep cuts covered with clean, dry bandages until healed — pus can carry MRSA. Follow wound-care instructions, throw bandages in the regular trash and wash your hands after touching a wound |
If you have an infection or open wound
Don't treat it yourself, and don't pick or pop the sore. Put clothing or a towel between your skin and shared surfaces such as sauna and steam-room benches and weight equipment, and stay out of whirlpools and pools until a provider says it's safe.
Sources
Based on "Athletes: MRSA Prevention and Control," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence : CC0 1.0 (domaine public) · Adapté de www.cdc.gov
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