 Bacterial infection found within sports equipment is a real danger. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA sites 5 ways in which bacteria and infections spread:
- Crowding
- Contact
- Cuts & Abrasions
- Contamination of items and surfaces
- Lack of Cleanliness
What is MRSA:
MRSA is a form of "staph infection" caused when Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria, that is resistant to the Methicillin family of antibiotics, enters the body. These enter the body through cuts and abrasions and can lead to pneumonia, joint and blood-stream infections. MRSA usually appears, at first, as "spider bites" or small boils in the skin.
Symptoms of MRSA:
are showing up in our children and even adults at an alarming rate. Confirmation of the deadly bacteria has been overlooked by many health care professionals until just recently as awareness in the medical community has grown.
CA MRSA Prevention: and care in avoiding the deadly bacteria is the first line of defense. Once contracted, the newly called, "Super Bug" Can be difficult to cure and is showing strong resistance to the most powerful antibiotics.
Is there a health risk?: Bacteria and surface molds can enter the body through cuts and abrasions, causing more severe infections. Some are agressive, long-lasting and can expand into other areas of the body. Remember the 5 ways (5 C's) for contracting infections mentioned above? Contact sports often involve crowding of people, skin contact, cuts, contamination of locker rooms and lack of cleanliness when it comes to protective gear (helmets, pads, gloves, etc).
Thus, athletes specifically need to be concerned.
What's growing in my gear?: Sports padding for hockey players, football players and lacrosse players, for example, are the ideal breeding ground
for trouble. A strong odour is usually the result of a mixture of sweat, mucus, blood, dirt, and other substances, which create the perfect environment for bacteria, mold, and fungus to thrive in. Here is a sample of what is found in the typical gear:
| Staphylococcus Epidermis: |
Gloves, Elbow Pads, & Shoulder Pads |
| Staphylococcus Aureus: |
Helmet - leads to pimples, boils and complicated skin infections |
| Streptococcus Veridans: |
Shin Guards & Elbow Pads - normally found in the mouth |
| Streptococcus Faecalis: |
Hockey Jock / Jill - associated with stool and fecal material |
| Yeast: |
Normally found on skin surfaces and in the intestinal tracts |
The Solution: Disinfectants and UV Ultraviolet light are effective agents at killing the MRSA and CA MRSA Staph infection.
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