Staph infections spreading in school locker rooms

06:51 PM CDT on Thursday, September 23, 2004

By Celine McArthur / Heathvue Reporter

High school locker rooms are bacteria breeding grounds. The bacteria can sometimes make athletes sick. Recently, there's been a wave of staph infections at schools across Central Texas.

High school football is a rough contact sport. Breaks, sprains and cuts are common. But the young athletes are also at risk at developing staph infections.

"Whenever there's a lot of people together in close quarters, we're more likely to see this infection spread," said Dr. Steve Berkowitz, South Austin Hospital.

A staphylococcus aureus bacterium is common. Many people have some living on their skin all the time. But when it enters the body -- usually through a cut -- it can lead to infections.

"Most of the time they're not serious, they're simply a nuisance,” said Dr. Berkowitz.

Signs of a staph include:

Pain or swelling around a cut

Boils, styes, or small white-headed pimples near or around hair follicles

Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin area

And sometimes an ear ache, strep throat or pneumonia.

There have been several confirmed staph infections among high school athletes across the region since school started in August.

15 in Hutto (14 in August, 1 in September)

3 in Comfort

1 in Marble Falls

1 in San Marcos

Staph infections don't have to be reported, so those are only cases schools know about.

"It's everywhere, staph is everywhere," said Jaime Perez.

Jaime Perez is the athletic director at San Marcos High School. Last year three of his students were infected -- two of them hospitalized. Three weeks ago, it happened again. Perez doesn't want to risk any more staff infections so they're literally cleaning house.

"We spray down the locker rooms, equipment everyday, soak them in chlorine solution once a month," said Jaime Perez.

Perez hopes these precautions will keep his players where they belong -- on the field, not in the hospital.

The infections are easy to prevent. If you any cuts, keep them covered. Wash your hands a lot. Keep your clothes clean and don't share towels in the locker-room.

For more information on staph infections, log onto:

Texas Department of Health

www.tdh.state.tx.us/ideas/factsht/factsht.htm

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/ARESIST/mrsa.htm

Other sources

www.ahrq.gov