Dec 10, 2007 3:42 PM
New Jersey Y Employee May Have MRSA
MIDDLETOWN, NJ -- A Community YMCA (NJ) employee looks to have contracted Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Monmouth County (NJ) health officials told the Asbury Park Press earlier this month.
In response, the Y disinfected its facilities but remains open. The infected employee is not working, and state health officials have been notified, according to the paper.
As of press time, Community Y officials could not be reached for comment.
MRSA outbreaks may be becoming more common. Recently, student recreation centers began taking precautions to help stop the spread of MRSA. Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ) installed hand sanitizer dispensers throughout campus after a student there was diagnosed with MRSA in September. After a staph infection case was reported at Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ, the college disinfected its student recreation center and weight room, and towels were discarded.
MRSA is a type of staph bacteria resistant to a certain type of antibiotics, including the commonly prescribed penicillin, oxacillin and amoxicillin. MRSA is transmitted most frequently by direct skin-to-skin contact and can be prevented with good hygiene (e.g., washing hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub and showering after working out), covering open skin areas such as abrasions or cuts with a clean dry bandage, avoiding sharing personal items such as towels or razors, using a barrier (e.g., clothing or a towel) between skin and shared equipment, and wiping surfaces of equipment before and after use.
For more on keeping your members healthy, read the trend watch, "Clean Up."
