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MRSA Awareness |
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What is MRSA?
Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to as “staph”,
is a common type of bacteria that can live harmlessly on the skin or in
the nose of 25 to 35 percent of healthy people.
Occasionally, staph can cause an infection.
Most of these infections can be treated, but some are resistant to
common treatments. These resistant bacteria are called methicillin-resistant
staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. |
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MRSA Informational Poster for General Public
(Poster and Video from Columbus City Health
Department)
New!
Click on link to view video on
MRSA
Who can get MRSA?
Anyone can get MRSA.
Outbreaks of MRSA can happen within certain groups, such as children in
child care, prison inmates, and men who have sex with men. It is also
becoming more common in student-athletes playing close contact sports, like
football, wrestling, and lacrosse.
What does MRSA look
like?
| It begins as a pimplelike
lesion that has popped, looking like a spider bite, a boil, or an
infected mosquito bite.
It then progresses to a
painful, swollen, red area, and /or has pus or other drainage. |
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How can I protect
myself from getting MRSA?
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Keep your hands and body clean
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Cover cuts and scrapes (especially those that are
draining)
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Don’t share personal items
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Sanitize clothing and linens
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Clean workout equipment before and after use
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Do NOT use whirlpools, hydrotherapy pools, cold
tubs, swimming pools, and other common tubs (if open wound is present)
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Get tested if you think that you may have MRSA
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Athletes and MRSA
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“Staph” infections, including MRSA, have most
often been connected with outbreaks in health-care facilities, but they
are becoming more common in student-athletes playing close contact
sports, such as football, wrestling, lacrosse, and others.
Anyone, including coaches, staff, family members,
or others who come into contact with an infected person can contract the
infection. |
More
Information on Athletes and MRSA
(Information from Columbus City Health Department)
MRSA In Athletics Information Sheet
MRSA In Athletics: Equipment Sanitation Procedures
MRSA In Athletics: Locker Room Poster
Physicians Release Form for Wrestlers (National
Federation of State High School Associations)
Guidelines to Skin Infections in Wrestling
(National Collegiate Athletic Association)
MRSA Links
MRSA in Schools (Centers for Disease
Control & Prevention)
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