Body shaving and “turf burns” seem to be two of the factors that raise football players’ risk of contracting an increasingly common antibiotic-resistant skin infection, U.S. health officials report.

Their findings come from an investigation of a serious outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection among 10 players on a Connecticut college football team. The athletes all developed skin lesions after the start of football camp, with two ending up in the hospital.

Once largely seen only in hospitals, MRSA outbreaks have in recent years become a problem among the general public. According to the authors of the current report, the “superbug” is behind an increasing number of skin infections among young children, prison inmates, military recruits and athletic teams - people who are in close contact and may share contaminated items.

Community-acquired MRSA infection typically causes abscesses or areas of inflammation on the skin, though in some cases it can also lead to more serious problems such as pneumonia and blood infection.

In their investigation of the Connecticut football team outbreak, researchers led by Dr. Elizabeth M. Begier of the state’s health department found several factors that put certain players at higher risk of MRSA infection.

Those who had gotten abrasions while playing on artificial turf - so-called turf burn - were more than seven times as likely to develop MRSA skin infection as other players were.

In addition, players who said they shaved their bodies anywhere other than the face were six times more likely than their teammates to become infected.

According to Begier’s team, skin abrasions - including the minor ones that shaving causes - may have made these players more susceptible to MRSA infection.

Although some athletes, such as swimmers, shave their bodies to boost performance, for others the practice is mainly cosmetic, the study authors note. It may be wise, they write, to educate players in contact sports about the potential infection risk of body shaving.

Begier and her colleagues report the findings in the November 15th issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

The researchers also found that certain players - wide receivers and cornerbacks - faced a greater infection risk than their teammates, likely due to their many direct hits with other players during practice and in games.

Also at risk were players who made a habit of sharing the cold whirlpool in the training room with another athlete. Begier and her colleagues found that the whirlpool water was not adequately disinfected; a disinfectant was added in the morning only and the water remaining unchanged all day.

Other hygiene lapses included towels that were washed at insufficiently hot temperatures and a lack of soap in the athletes’ showers. On top of that, the researchers report, “wound care and coverage was optional and left to the discretion of the players.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, covering wounds is one of the best ways to stop the spread of MRSA infections among athletes. Regularly cleaning shared equipment and making sure soap and hot water are available to athletes are some other key measures.

SOURCE: Clinical Infectious Diseases, November 15, 2004.