Staphylococcus aureus or “staph” is a common germ that about 30 percent of people have on their skin or in their nose. This germ does not cause problems for most people, but sometimes it can cause skin infections, such as pimples or boils, and wound infections. Less commonly, pneumonia or infections in the blood can occur.
Antibiotics are often given to kill staph germs when they cause infections. Some staph are resistant to certain antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a type of staph that is resistant to some of the antibiotics that are used to treat staph infections.
MRSA is usually spread from person to person through direct skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces. MRSA may spread more easily among athletes because they have repeated skin-to-skin contact, get cuts and abrasions that allow staph and MRSA to enter and share items and surfaces that come into direct skin contact, such as towels, used bandages and weight-training equipment.
Athletes can protect themselves from getting MRSA and other skin infections by taking a few simple precautions:
Perform hand washing, at a minimum before and after playing sports and after using shared equipment.
Shower immediately after exercise. Do not share bar soap and towels.
Wash uniforms and clothing after each use. Dry clothes completely.
Wear protective clothing/gear designed to prevent skin abrasions or cuts.
Cover skin abrasions and cuts with clean, dry bandages until healed and change as directed by your health care provider.
Avoid sharing personal items such as towels and razors that contact bare skin.
Use a barrier, such as a towel, between your skin and shared equipment, such as weight-training, sauna and steam room benches.
Staph infections, including MRSA, also occur among people in hospitals and health care facilities, such as nursing homes and dialysis centers. These infections are referred to as health care-associated MRSA infections, whereas those that occur in otherwise healthy people who have not been hospitalized or had a medical procedure are known as community-associated MRSA infections. Health care-associated MRSA infections are often more serious.
If someone is a MRSA carrier (bacteria are present on the skin but they are not causing infection) treatment is not usually required. Some MRSA skin infections can be treated by drainage of the boils or abscesses by a health care provider, and antibiotics might not be needed. When a MRSA infection requires antibiotic treatment, there are available options. It is important to take all of the antibiotic doses, even if the infection is getting better.
MRSA bacteria occasionally develop resistance to antibiotics, however, to date, all resistant isolates have been sensitive to alternative drugs. These drugs can have some side effects and can be expensive.