School Athletics on the Front Line in MRSA Prevention
Sports programs offer lessons for all students in better hygiene habits.
Bacterial infections among students linked to the strain of staph known as MRSA have been thrust into the national spotlight in recent weeks, but the dangers of such infections—and the role of good hygiene in curbing them—are not news to athletic-department officials.
“[This is] something that’s been around for a while, and there’s been information in the literature about it for a long time,” said Susan F. Wooley, the executive director of the American School Health Association, based in Kent, Ohio, referring to MRSA. “There have certainly been instances of it in schools in athletics for probably at least 10 years.”
Athletic programs are particularly at risk for spreading such infections because of the large numbers of students in locker rooms, the use of shared equipment, and skin-to-skin contact during sports activities. As a result, athletics officials are often expected to take the lead in isolating, preventing, and...
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