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VAC and
Athletes should
be wary of virus
By Daniel Yee
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA — Health and
sports officials are warning
schools and sports teams about a
hard-to-treat skin infection once
common to hospitals and pris
ons that’s now plaguing athletes
on the playing field.
The National Federation of
State High School Associations
sent a warning Tuesday to states
about a staph infection that can’t
becured by the usual penicillin-
related antibiotics.
On Monday the NCAA’s
medical committee urged col
lege athletic departments to be
alert for the infections and to
practice careful hygiene.
Though usually mild, methi-
cillin-resistant staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA) can progress to
alife-threatening blood or bone
infection. Several athletes who
got the infection have been hos
pitalized.
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention said the
infection, which can look like
hi ordinary skin wound or a
toil, is often not diagnosed or
tnds up being treated with
mtibiotics that can’t cure it.
Symptoms include fever, pus,
swelling or pain.
“It’s important for coaches
aid for parents to be aware
ISA might be a cause of skin
problems in
children,” said
Di. Dan
Ifmigan, CDC
wheal epi-
taiologist.
Athletes
siould tell their
coaches of any
wounds, which
should be cov
ered. If a wound
can’t be covered,
the player
should be
excluded from
the sport until he
gets appropriate treatment or the
wound heals, Jernigan said.
Most often affected are those
playing close-contact sports, but
in one case, fencing was
involved.
“It’s not uncommon in con
tact sports such as football and
wrestling where we have conta
gious skin conditions,” said
Jerry Diehl, assistant director
for the high school federation.
He said proper equipment clean
ing is needed to prevent the
infections.
The CDC also recommended
avoiding contact with other
players’ skin lesions, better
hygiene and no sharing of tow
els or personal items.
Preventing skin
infections in sports
Health and sports officials are
warning schools and sports
teams about a strain of antibiotic-
resistant skin infection that is
plaguing athletes around the
country. Symptoms of infection
are fever, pus. swelling or pain.
► Cover all wounds.
► Practice good hygiene and
shower with soap after practices
and competitions.
► Do not share towels and
personal items, such as clothing
and equipment.
► Clean all shared equipment.
► Coaches should assess and
report athletes regularly for skin
lesions.
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control AP
and Prevention
NCAA spokeswoman Kay
Hawes said Wednesday the alert
to universities was to make them
aware of potential problems.
“The NCAA alerts the mem
bership any time there’s a health
and safety issue where we could
prevent a problem or concern.”
The last such
announcement
was about the
SARS virus.
Earlier this
month, a 17-
year-old high
school football
player in
Wisconsin was
hospitalized
with MRSA and
six of his team
mates also were
treated. In
August, seven
University of
Southern California football
players were infected, and four
were hospitalized.
The CDC noted that five
Colorado fencers were infected
in February. Team members
shared sensor wires, which
record hits by an opponent’s
weapon, under their clothing
and the wires were not regularly
cleaned, the CDC said.
In January, a pair of Indiana
high school wrestlers were
infected; last year, two college
football players were hospital
ized from the infection, and in
2000, 10 Pennsylvania college
football players were infected,
the CDC added.
It’s important for
coaches and for
parents to be aware
MRSA might be a
cause of skin
problems...
— Dan Jernigan
CDC medical epidemiologist
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