The St. Louis Rams and MRSA

Seems like some members of the St. Louis Rams were infected with methicillin-resistant Staph Aureus in 2003:

Eight MRSA-related skin abscesses occurred in five members of the St. Louis Rams football team, report Dr. Sophia V. Kazakova, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and her associates. Due to their large size, the abscesses needed to be lanced to facilitate drainage.

In each player, the abscesses developed at sites of turf burns on areas of skin not covered by a uniform. Another risk factor was the frequent use of antibiotics, averaging 2.6 antibiotic prescriptions per year among the players.

But looking at their poor hygiene habits, it shouldn’t come as a surprise:

An epidemiologic investigation showed that trainers responsible for players’ wound care lacked regular access to hand hygiene. The fact that players often skipped showers before using communal whirlpools, and shared towels amongst themselves, perhaps contributed to the outbreak.

That is just plain nasty.