Key points
- MRSA skin infections can spread among athletes due to close contact and shared personal items and facilities.
- Avoid a MRSA infection by practicing good hygiene; preventing skin injuries; not sharing personal items such as towels, washcloths, and razors; and covering cuts and wounds.
- Be vigilant for signs of skin infections. Get care early to reduce lost playing time and prevent severe infection.
Overview
MRSA is a type of bacteria that can be resistant to several antibiotics.
MRSA might spread more easily in athletic settings. Preventing MRSA infections is crucial to athletes' health and safety.
How it spreads
MRSA can spread through skin-to-skin contact and by touching contaminated surfaces (places where the germ may live).
MRSA might spread more easily among athletes because they:
- Have repeated skin-to-skin contact.
- May have cuts and abrasions that if left uncovered may allow MRSA to enter and cause infection.
- Share items and surfaces that come into direct skin contact.
- Are sometimes not able to shower or wash hands after exercise or after using shared equipment.
Risk factors
Skin infections, including MRSA, are most reported among athletes in sports with a lot of physical contact. This includes wrestling, football and rugby. However, there are reports of MRSA infections among athletes in other sports such as soccer, basketball, field hockey, volleyball, rowing, martial arts, fencing and baseball.
Even though some sports involve small amounts of physical contact, MRSA might spread before or after the activity. Anyone participating in sports should be aware of the signs of skin infections and follow prevention measures.
Who is at risk
While athletes who play contact sports are most affected, anyone in an athletic environment can be at risk for MRSA.
What to look out for
Signs of skin infection such as:
- Pain at sites where your skin has sores, abrasions or cuts. Sometimes you can confuse these infections with spider bites.
- Pus.
- Redness.
- Swelling.
- Warmth (area is warm to touch).
Look for infection in places covered by body hair or where uniforms or equipment cause skin irritation or increased rubbing.
When to seek emergency care
Prevention steps and strategies
Practice good hygiene
- Wash hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Soap and water are preferred if hands are visibly soiled.
- Clean hands before and after playing sports and doing activities such as:
- Using shared weight-training equipment.
- Caring for wounds.
- Using the toilet.
- Shower immediately after exercise, and do not share bar soap or towels.
- Shower before using whirlpools, therapy pools or swimming pools.
- Wash and completely dry (in a dryer, not through air/hang drying) your uniform, towels, and clothing after each use.
- Follow the clothing label's instructions for washing and drying.
- Clean your hands after touching dirty clothes.
Prevent skin injuries
Wear protective clothing or gear to prevent skin injuries.
Don't share personal items
Do not share items that contact your skin, such as:
- Towels.
- Washcloths.
- Razors.
- Clothing, including uniforms.
- Ointments from open containers.
Safely care for cuts and wounds
- Cover cuts and wounds with clean, dry bandages until healed. Pus from infected wounds can contain MRSA.
- Follow healthcare provider instructions for wound care and bandage changes.
- Throw away bandages and tape with the regular trash.
- Wash your hands after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.
- Avoid using water facilities until healed.
If you have an infection or open wound
- Do not try to treat the infection yourself.
- Do not pick or pop the sore.
- Use a barrier (such as clothing or a towel) between your skin and shared surfaces such as:
- Sauna and steam-room benches.
- Weight-training equipment.
- Do not use public water facilities (such as whirlpools, therapy pools and swimming pools).
- Follow a healthcare provider's advice about when to use water facilities them again.
Why prevention is important
Preventing MRSA transmission is essential to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all athletes and to ensure that everyone can participate in sports without the risk of infection.