MRSA Threat To Youth Soccer Players

It has been dubbed the “Deadly Super Bug”, a treatment-resistant strain of bacteria which has garnered tons of recent exposure in the national and international media. While nearly 85% of MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) cases are a result of exposure in hospitals, a significant spike in community and sports related cases has health professionals calling for improved sports hygiene.

The Threat To Soccer Clubs. CA-MRSA, the community acquired version, is an infection of the skin and soft tissue which is spread through physical contact or contact with an exposed material like a soccer jersey. The bacteria can survive outside of a host for weeks, increasing its risk within a community.

Why Young Athletes Are Especially Susceptible. Proper hygiene is the best way to prevent the spread of MRSA. Unfortunately, young athletes are not renowned for their cleanliness. Additionally, 32% percent of Americans harbor similar bacteria in their nasal passages (1% harbor MRSA). This means if a young athlete wipes his nose and then his or her jersey, any individual who comes into contact with this young soccer player runs a risk of being infected. Furthermore, a young athlete with a weakened immune system may be at an even greater risk. Finally, a young club member is probably less likely to realize the risk of an abscess or boil among the proliferation of scrapes and bruises from everyday childhood activity.

What Does An MRSA Infection Look Like? According to the CDC, MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils. The infections are often mistaken for spider bites and left untreated. MedicineNet suggests MRSA infections can also produce the following symptoms:

-Cellulitis (infection of the skin, usually starting as small red bumps in the skin)
-Boils (pus-filled infections of hair follicles)
-Abscesses (collections of pus in under the skin)
-Sty (infection of eyelid gland)
-Carbuncles (infections larger than an abscess, usually with several openings to the skin)
-Impetigo (a skin infection with pus-filled blisters)

If a MRSA infection is left unattended, the infection can become terminal. In fact, more than 90,000 life-threatening illnesses and nearly 19,000 deaths associated with an MRSA infection occur each year in the United States, according to a CDC report released in October, 2007.