MRSA & Staph Related Bacteria

Why has MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) become so prevalent in our communities? Actually it has been gradually increasing in strength and numbers. This is due in part to our increasing use of antibiotics. In 2003 health and sports officials were warning schools and sports teams about this hard-to-treat skin infection that is now plaguing athletes. The National Federation of State High School Associations sent warnings to states about staph infection that can't be cured by the usual penicillin-related antibiotics (MRSA). The NCAA's medical committee urged the college athletic departments to be alert for the infections and to practice careful hygiene. More than 30% of all humans have the bacteria in their noses at any time. You could be a carrier your entire life, though, and never know it: For staph to become a problem, you'd have to be carrying a strain that is strong enough to cause infection and have it come in contact with a break in someone's skin. Ironically, that skin could be your own; a carrier can infect himself by wiping his nose and then touching an open cut. MRSA has three great loves: humidity, skin cuts, and a weakened immune system. The opportunity for infection increases dramatically when these three come together, as they do in a gym. Locker rooms are damp and steamy. That game of two-on-two can lead to cut lips and scraped knees, and an exhausting workout temporarily lowers the body's resistance. Add to that workout gear that may not have been washed in days, and you have a bacterial smorgasbord. People most often affected are those playing close contact sports such as football and wrestling, said Jerry Diehl, assistant director for the high school federation. He added that proper equipment cleaning is needed to prevent the infections. In 2004 several members of the Miami Dolphins, including star linebacker Junior Seau and kickoff-return ace Charlie Rogers, were infected with MRSA. Seau and Rogers had to be hospitalized, as did Tampa Bay Buccaneer Kenyatta Walker. Cleveland Browns' Ben Taylor needed an emergency operation to beat the infection. Although, no quantitative studies have broken down the MRSA outbreak by gender, the Centers for Digestive Control has found that the majority of new infections are among young men who share some kind of skin-to-skin contact, such as through sports. "You don't even need direct contact to become infected," points out Barry Kreiswirth, PH.D., the director of the Public Health Research Institute Tuberculosis Center. "Staph has been spread in locker rooms by towel snapping. If he's got turf burn on his leg and you've got the bacteria on the towel, he can become infected. The more MRSA spreads, the more aggressive it seems to become." Surprisingly, the most important thing you can do to help fight MRSA is really quite simple - practice good hygiene. Wash hands and be sure to shower immediately following any contact sports or locker room visits. Do not share sports equipment and be sure to always air dry your equipment after every use. So, keep the words of mothers everywhere foremost in your mind and, "Remember to wash up."