Unusual Infection Frustrates, Threatens Young Athletes

Running down the soccer field, nothing is better than the feeling of being on top of my game. It’s the height of the season and I get the chance to play varsity, which isn’t common for a freshman. Everything is good; I’m feeling great. Then things go south, fast. 

In the spring of 2017, I was hospitalized with a Staphylococcal aureus infection. It was an inch deep in my inner thigh. This halted my season, and took months of recovery to feel like myself again. But to this day I’m still dealing with lasting effects.

Staphylococcus bacteria are commonly found on the skin or nose of many healthy people, but could cause severe skin infections that turn deadly, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

“It is kind of what we would label as one of the more dangerous bacteria that we encounter in athletics,” said UWM Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Aaron Haselhorst. 

There are millions of skin infections in the United States every year, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Most transfer through skin-to-skin contact or a shared surface, such as towels, benches in saunas or athletic equipment.

“It’ll almost look like a pimple or a razor bump,” said Haselhorst. “You might come in one day with a very small razor bump. Then the next day the redness will spread from the bump, the nodules got bigger, almost painful to touch around the area. That’s usually our biggest signal that this could potentially be a staph infection.” 

From 2008 to 2010, the National Library of Medicine conducted a study on 377 varsity college athletes. The study found that athletes playing close contact sports are at a higher risk of being colonized with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). 

MRSA is a distinct strain of staph bacteria that’s become resistant to many antibiotics, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

Treatment for MRSA is longer and more complicated. It used to be limited to hospitals and long-term care facilities, but the University Interscholastic League stated that there have been sporadic reports of MRSA outside of the medical environment since the summer of 2002. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, the bacteria could turn deadly and invade deeper into the body. Potentially entering the joints, bones, lungs, heart or bloodstream. This could be dangerous if contacted by a bacteria strain resistant to common antibiotics. 

Staph bacteria could cause boils, impetigo, cellulitis and staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome. It could also cause bloodstream infections called bacteremia. Septic arthritis is also caused by infection, targeting the knees, shoulders, hips, fingers or toes. 

 “We rely on the teams (sport) to keep their spaces clean, to prohibit it from becoming a breeding ground for these skin infections,” said Haselhorst. 

To prevent staph from spreading, the UWM Exposure Control Plan promotes practicing good personal hygiene. Such as frequent hand washing and keeping wounds covered.

Look for signs such as redness, warmth around the area, swelling, pus and pain. Infections often occur in places where uniforms or equipment often rub against and cause irritation.

If an infection is detected, tell a trusted health professional or parent to get early care and to keep it from becoming severe.