Two Tampa Bay Buccaneers football players are fighting MRSA infections, a type of staph infection that's resistant to some antibiotics.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, athletic facilities are especially risky for MRSA infections, given the close physical contact and the likelihood of cuts and scrapes during practices.
Team officials won't say if guard Carl Nicks and kicker Lawrence Tynes picked up their MRSA infections at One Buc Place, but as a precaution, the team has disinfected its Tampa training facility multiple times.
Athletes aren't the only ones who should worry about picking up MRSA. The CDC says it can happen to anyone, at anytime. Open wounds and broken skin increase the risk, but even someone without a cut could pick up the infection.
At first, a MRSA infection might look like a small bump or insect bite, but it can be deadly.
Rates of MRSA infections in hospitals have gone down in recent years, but outside of healthcare settings, it's a different story. According to the CDC, MRSA infections people pick up in the community have increased sharply over the past decade.
WUSF reporter John O'Connor had a MRSA infection on his elbow a few years ago. Read why he'll never ignore what seemed like a really painful bug bite again.
--Health News Florida is part of WUSF Public Media. Contact Lottie Watts at 813-974-8705 (desk) or e-mail at lottiewatts@wusf.org. For more health news, visit HealthNewsFlorida.org.
