Originally published by CBS New York
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — With fall sports like football and wrestling in full swing, there’s a wake up call for schools and parents on preventing superbug infections in student athletes.
The nation’s pediatricians have issued new guidelines to help keep players safe.
As CBS2’s Dr. Max Gomez reported, it used to be that we only saw antibiotic resistant germs in hospitals and nursing homes.
Now, those infections have spread to households, childcare centers, and especially school athletic facilities.
Superbugs, commonly referred to as MRSA, and other infectious agents love warm, sweaty locker rooms and athletic equipment.
Athletic trainer Anais Mixson makes sure the mats at Neptune High School are wiped clean with antibacterial solution every night. She knows it’s a vital step in preventing potentially life-threatening infections.
“If we don’t take the proper precautions, if we skip steps, that’s where we’re going to see athletes who will have infections that could possibly last them the rest of their life,” she said. “Infections diseases that we can never see, including MRSA, herpes, athlete’s foot.”
