Fells' Struggle Shows How Athletes are Prone to MRSA Infections

New York Giants tight end Daniel Fells’ battle with a persistent Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection should serve notice to athletes – from youth levels to the pros – to keep a close eye on all cuts and scrapes, a Manhasset infectious disease doctor said.

“Someone doesn’t typically go to their primary care physician for every little scratch or superficial wound,” said Dr. Stefan Juretschko, Ph.D., director of Infectious Diseases Diagnostics at North Shore-LIJ Health System. “However, athletes – especially wrestlers and football and soccer players – are a high risk group.

“For them,” he said, “the spread of MRSA is particularly high and even small wounds should be evaluated right away.”

Fells has undergone five surgeries on his infected foot over the last week and is in danger of losing his foot. In late September, Fells received a cortisone shot after suffering toe and ankle injuries. He went to the emergency room Oct. 2, after a week of foot pain, and was diagnosed with MRSA.

National Football League players are especially prone to an outbreak, considering the high amount of cuts and scratches they sustain during the season, that they are constantly colliding with each other and that they shower and dress together in such close quarters. After Fells was hospitalized, the Giants, under the supervision of infectious disease specialists, scrubbed the locker room, training rooms and meeting roomsat their practice facility with disinfectant.

MRSA infections generally occur when a cut or abrasion is not properly cleaned, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, which strongly recommends that coaches and team healthcare providers educate athletes about ways to prevent spreading the infection.

Athletes big and small need to shower immediately after participating in their sport, wash and dry their uniforms before each use, never use the whirlpool before showering and keep wounds covered, the CDC states.

Dr. Juretschko said MRSA infections can be successfully treated and eliminated in just days if discovered early, noting that vancomycin and ceftaroline are among the reliable antibiotics available on the market to treat MRSA.

“It all depends on the speed of correct diagnosis, correct identification of the pathogen, and correct administration of optimal antimicrobial agents,” he said. “The longer it takes to get the right diagnosis, the more time the pathogen has to ‘peacefully settle in’ in its new environment, the wound infection.”

The presence of MRSA is actually quite common, Dr. Juretschko said, adding that 30 percent of all people are carriers of MRSA in their nose.

“It’s quite easy to spread MRSA to an open wound after scratching your nose,” he said.

Photo credit: Giants Tight End Daniel Fells/Giants.com