Sports players are at a specific risk to MRSA. Football teams, wrestlers, and other contact sports are at particular risk, because of the possibility of open wounds and the close contact of players. Several members of school teams have come down with infections of MRSA, some of them even resulting in death.
However, taking some simple precautions can drastically reduce the number of infections. One big thing that should be done is regular washing and disinfecting of sports equipment.
If you think about, in most cases your clothing gets washed daily. It may not even be wet or physically dirty, yet it still goes in the laundry. On the other hand, think about your sports gear. Football players wear their helmets several times a week during the season, get them dirty and sweaty, and then throw them in a locker. It is the perfect place for bacteria to grow and multiply.
Have you ever wondered about the odor coming off of the gear? That can be a combination of bacteria, mold, mildew, and fungus that have grown there. And while the equipment may get sent out to be conditioned and certified for another season’s use, cleaning is a secondary consideration.
You may be wondering why this was not a consideration before. Part of it is the amount of use that the gear gets – there are few breaks in a season to allow the equipment to be sent out for cleaning and disinfectant. And prior to community-acquired MRSA started showing up in team locker rooms, many people were just not aware of the risk.
The solution some people have tried is to spray everything down with a disinfectant. However, this really does not work all that well. The thick padding on the equipment allows bacteria and germs to work their way deep into the lining where spray disinfectants cannot reach. Even trying to launder the equipment at home would not work, since, provided it did not damage the gear, the gear would float at the top due to the foam.
Bleach works effective to kill bacteria; however it cannot be used on sports equipment since it will damage the padding.
There is a new wash system with large bags to hold gear in place in a washing machine, which offers the most disinfection possible. It is a relatively new process, but allows equipment to be washed more frequently and still be available for use on the field.
In most cases, the owner of the equipment is the one responsible for the care of it. Often, the equipment is owned by the organization, which would then be responsible for the cleaning and maintenances. In some schools, equipment can be privately owned for some sports, putting the care into the hands of the player.
If you are concerned about the risk of MRSA exposure from your team sport, talk to the management immediately about ways to make sure that equipment is properly cleaned and sanitized.