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.

Your Responsibility As An Administrator/Parent/Coach… is to educate yourselves as well as the club.  MRSA can be a serious and deadly threat to your club members and without proper precaution your members could be at risk!  Use your online resources to educate your club members.

1.      Send a bulk email to all registered members with helpful health tips to reduce the spread of CA-MRSA.  Click Here for a host of helpful preventative measures your club can take.

2.      Designate a webpage within your club’s website to proper club hygiene and provide a link from the homepage.  In addition, you can provide a link to this podcast by Jeff Hageman, an epidemiologist with the CDC, addressing MRSA.

3.      Practice what you preach.  While children may be more susceptible to CA-MRSA, adults can easily be infected as well.  If nothing else, use a tissue and wash your hands!

The Administrator wants to know what your club does to prevent the spread of bacteria among club members.  Does your organization promote good hygiene or simply leave that responsibility to the player’s parents.  Post a comment below, send an email to Jon@bluesombrero.com, or call 404-835-0305.