Staph Infections

Contributed by Nicole Powell-Dunford, Rokkyu

Staph is a type of bacteria that lives in the skin and can cause serious illness!

Recently, a special type of staph (called MRSA or methicillin resistant staph aureus) has caused life threatening and even fatal illnesses in athletes. MRSA can be extremely difficult to treat and in many cases leads to hospitalization. Staph can be carried in the nails, nose and other moist areas of the body without causing signs of infection.  It can contaminate door handles, towels and clothing. When staph enters the body through broken skin, it can lead to severe illness.

Several individuals were hospitalized recently with this very type of infection!