Via CBS News:
Reports from the NFL Players Association show a recent outbreak of MRSA in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers locker room could threaten this Sunday’s Eagles vs. Bucs game. Three players have been diagnosed and are being treated.
The NFL released the following statement, saying, “Our office, the NFLPA, and appropriate medical specialists are working with the medical staff to aggressively address the matter.”
On the skin, MRSA can look like a blister or a rash that can become swollen and painful. It’s a type of staph infection that’s often resistant to most antibiotics and can be difficult to treat.
“It’s passed by close contact with other people who either have an infection with MRSA or they may just have it on their bodies. That’s the way athletes transmit it,” says Dr. Neil Fishman, an infectious disease specialist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
“MRSA can cause a lot of different infections, and they can range from very mild infections to very serious infections,” Dr. Fishman adds.