.
Cases have developed from person-to-person contact, shared
towels, soaps, improperly treated whirlpools, and equipment (mats, pads,
surfaces, etc). Staph or CA-MRSA infections usually manifest as skin
infections, such as pimples, pustules and boils, which present as red,
swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. Without proper referral and
care, more serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections,
or surgical wound infections.
Maintaining good hygiene and avoiding contact with drainage
from skin lesions are the best methods for prevention.
Proper prevention and management recommendations may
include, but are not limited to:
1. Keep hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and warm
water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer routinely.
2. Encourage immediate showering following activity.
3. Avoid whirlpools or common tubs with open wounds, scrapes
or scratches.
4. Avoid sharing towels, razors, and daily athletic gear.
5. Properly wash athletic gear and towels after each use.
6. Maintain clean facilities and equipment.
7. Inform or refer to appropriate health care personnel for
all active skin lesions and lesions that do not respond to initial therapy.
8. Administer or seek proper first aid.
9. Encourage health care personnel to seek bacterial
cultures to establish a diagnosis.
10. Care and cover skin lesions appropriately before
participation.
