MRSA

As your child goes off to camp this summer, whether it be a sports- or old-fashioned general-interest camp, health experts say parents and kids need to be on the lookout for MRSA and other skin infections.  Because kids at camp live in close quarters where they tend to share athletic equipment, towels and clothing,  camps, especially sports camps, can be MRSA hot spots.

The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) has issued a position statement on preventing MRSA and other skin diseases among athletes at all levels, from youth to professionals. The statement includes comprehensive recommendations for avoiding, identifying and treating fungal, viral and bacterial skin infections, some of which are life threatening.

Over the past several years, skin infections in sports have come to the forefront. Whether it is in professional or high school sports, the risks and problems remain the same. A few years back, the St. Louis Rams professional football team suffered an outbreak of a severe bacterial infection, Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). An infection that can be controlled when limited to one player, but when several team members are involved, it can spread quickly and become difficult to contain.

One of the keys to preventing the spread of the antibiotic-resistant skin infection or "super bug" known as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is proper identification and treatment of suspicious skin lesions.  The infection often looks like an ordinary skin wound or boil,  which may look harmless but rapidly develops into large abscesses within 24 to 48 hours. Diagnosis is difficult. Treatment with penicillin-related antibiotics is ineffective.

While skin infections, including MRSA, are reported most often in sports with frequent physical contact, skin contact or activities that may lead to the spread of MRSA skin infections may take place before or after participation in a sport with little physical contact.  Therefore, anyone participating in organized or recreational sports should be aware of the signs of possible skin infections and follow prevention measures.

Community-acquired or CA-MRSA is non-invasive, less dangerous than MRSA in hospital setting; no need for parents and athletes to panic.

Three studies of MRSA among Texas high school football players conducted by the Texas Department of State Health Services appear to suggest that those who play on artificial turf are at increased risk.

The best way to prevent the spread of staph infections such as the antibiotic-resistant skin infection or "super bug" known as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus ("MRSA") is to maintain good personal hygiene in football locker room, schools and at home.

The National Athletic Trainers' Association has re-released a set of recommendations for precautions that should be followed by parents, coaches, athletic trainers, other health care professionals and participants in secondary school athletics, in order to prevent the spread of communicable and infectious diseases. Due to the nature of competitive sports at the high school level, there is an elevated risk of infectious diseases being spread by skin-to-skin contact and contaminated equipment shared by athletes.