A disappointing fourth-quarter upset and broken winning streak may not be the most important thing on the minds of those connected to the Virginia football program -- at least it shouldn't be. There are more pressing matters of concern at hand, such as the health and wellbeing of Virginia athletes.
As many of you are aware, outbreaks of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcusaureus, or "MRSA cases" are suddenly popping up in large proportions nationwide, and athletes are at high risk.
Just last week alone, nine Martin County, Fla. high school students -- mostly athletes -- were diagnosed, as were two Michigan high school football players; 11 Pittsburgh high school students, ten of whom are football players; two Chicago freshman football team members; and nine West Virginia State football players. Closer to home, a teenager died last month in nearby Bedford County after being diagnosed with MRSA. Even scarier, the list continues.
MRSA, should be athletes' most-feared enemy. Public health officials say athletes are at increased risk for catching the virus because of sports team dynamics. Locker rooms and team hot and cold tubs offer great conditions for bacteria transmitted by physical contact and sharing of items. People of all demographics are at risk, but the virus is notorious for affecting individuals in close community settings such as prisoners in jail, or athletes in locker rooms. MRSA's ability to resist antibiotic treatment is probably its biggest weapon.
The MRSA germ is not new -- it has been a symptom of U.S. hospitals and nursing homes since the 1970s. What is new about the illness is its new form; discovered in the late 1990s, it now begins as a harmless skin irritation, which, if left untreated, can turn deadly. Many infections often begin resembling pimples, spider bites or ingrown hairs. Oftentimes the 'tough mentality' promoted in sports prevents athletes from reporting potential cases. Athletes don't want to appear as though they are making a big matter out of something as small as a pimple, and they do not want to be held out of competition. For instance, when Oak Grove running back Mohamed Marah developed an MRSA infection in his lower leg, he played through a game while he admitted feeling like he had been poisoned. Don't you dare start to think, "How commendable." Dumb, yes; commendable, no.
Fortunately, in most cases, proper diagnosis leads to successful treatment. Unfortunately, misdiagnosis, however, can be deadly -- because the virus is antibiotic resistant, prescribing "the wrong medicine allows MRSA to subside for a few days while it gathers strength before returning like a runaway train, spreading and becoming a potentially lethal infection," said Elliot Pellman, medical liaison for the NFL and MLB in an interview last year with Red Orbit.
Why are athletes the main targets?
One possible explanation involves the virus's epidemiology. MRSA starts out as a skin laceration, a common ailment of athletic activity. As a result, the appearance of these new bumps and/or bruises often goes unnoticed or is not given much thought by athletes. These breaks in the skin, however, are what can allow bacteria to enter the body.
Another reason athletes are at higher risk is because the drug-resistant microbe developed from excessive use of antibiotics -- something widespread in the sports world. It is no secret that team physicians and trainers are more likely to prescribe antibiotics to players in an effort to get them out on the field or court faster. Indeed, a New England Journal of Medicine article about the St. Louis Rams 2003 MRSA outbreak found players were receiving 10 times the amount of antibiotics than people in the general population. Sickening, literally and figuratively.
The physical, close-contact nature of athletics doesn't help either. Understandably, football and wrestling teams are at greater risk, with football players at greatest risk since wrestling has stricter rules concerning covering wounds. In addition, team environments encourage the sharing of personal items such as sports equipment, towels, razors and bars of soap. Benches in sauna rooms and hot tubs as well as athletic equipment also pose problems in the prevention of virus spread. Personally, I remain optimistic that the whole shared razors thing is just an exaggerated hoax. I mean, I know teammates become close as family, but sharing razors-tight? Can anyone say "gross?"
Many sports officials view MRSA outbreak as an inevitable event for athletic programs worldwide. Others fear this virus has the potential to take out entire teams. According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, approximately 32 percent of the U.S. population carries a symptomless form of staph infection on the skin or nose. What's more, some have found MRSA is causing more deaths than AIDS in the United States. In fact, a few sports officials say the question is not if, but when MRSA will show up in a school's athletic department.
What is U.Va. doing to evade a MRSA outbreak right here in Charlottesville? According to Kyle Rilley, head equipment manager at McCue Center, U.Va. Athletics has begun taking extra hygienic steps in an attempt to prevent the spread of virus bacteria. For instance, sterilizing sanitizer is added to every laundry load, and helmets and shoulder pads are sprayed regularly with skin-sensitive sanitizer.
I say this week's practice should focus on proper hand-washing techniques. Twenty second hand washing drills: lather, rinse, repeat. All the works. Hey, they say good hygiene is critical to MRSA prevention.
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