One in four people carries bacteria called staphylococcus aureus. In most cases, it is responsible for small skin infections or pimples.
However, a growing body of research indicates an antibiotic-resistant version is spreading in sports programs, gyms, and through person-to-person contact in the home.
Doctors at the University of Maryland and Mercy Medical Center say methicillin-resistant staph infections used to be confined to people recovering from operations and others hospitalized with compromised immune systems.
“Now it?s appearing more and more in the community,” said Dr. Eli Perencevich, an epidemiologist with the VA Maryland Healthcare System. “It?s causing more serious skin infections.”
The bacteria is also spreading more easily from person to person, mainly through skin contact and touching shared equipment, such as at a gym.
“Gyms are one of the dirtiest places around, particularly because of the sweat and the number of people using the equipment,” said Dr. Joseph Ciotola in the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
Some gyms advise their clients on personal hygiene, said Vanessa Buenger, manager of the downtown Baltimore Merritt Athletic Club.
“We have gym wipes that are pre soaked in alcohol that people will use to wipe the gym equipment when they get on and off,” she said.
Trainers use them, too. “We also have a cleaning crew that comes in at night and mops, dusts and wipes the mats. We have never received any complaints,” Buenger said.
Factors that have been associated with the spread of MRSA skin infections include cuts or abrasions, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions and poor hygiene, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
So far there have not been any major outbreaks in Maryland or any reported deaths in this region.
There is a silver lining.
Doctors in Maryland are becoming better at recognizing and testing for the drug resistant strains and treating them properly from the start, Perencevich said.
Prevention can be as simple as wiping down gym equipment before and after using it, washing your hands and proper treatment of even minor wounds.
How can I prevent staph or MRSA skin infections?
» Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
» Keep cuts and scrapes clean, dry and covered with a bandage.
» Avoid contact with other people?s wounds or bandages.
» Avoid sharing personal items, such as towels or razors.
