MRSA Outbreaks In Health Clubs

MRSA Outbreaks in Health Clubs are Increasing

Everyday the news reports are full of information about MRSA (methicillin resistant staph aureus) outbreaks in the community. As MRSA crosses the threshold from contained hospital breakouts to the general population, the local health club is a prime place for unchecked person-to-person MRSA transmission. Protection from the risks of methicillin resistant staph transmission in the health club should be of great concern to everyone - health club members and health club business owners alike.

The Risk of Exposure to MRSA is Real in the Health Club Environment

We all know that health clubs are not the most hygienic places. If you stop to think about it, you might choose not to frequent workout rooms at all. Take dripping sweat from the diligent exercisers that frequent health club, add the normal hygiene problems associated with shared workout equipment, mix in the unavoidable locker room moisture and you have a perfect environment for MRSA to thrive - in effect, a gigantic incubator. The skin is the body's first defense against infection, but everyone has normal breaks in the skin and injuries from day to day living. These seemingly harmless paper cuts, hangnails and abrasions can be lethal in combination with exposure to methicillin resistant staphylococcus and other antibiotic resistant microorganisms. The unavoidable dynamics that exist in every single health club across the country are methicillin-resistant disasters waiting to happen. Although the current health club practice of providing antiseptic wipes for swabbing equipment before and after use is admirable, it is by no means adequate.

MRSA Exposure Costs Lives

At the worst end of the spectrum of outcomes, MRSA infection can cause death to those unfortunate enough to become infected. The symptoms of MRSA infection are subtle enough to be missed on first pass. The very nature of a MRSA infection means that the antibiotic regimen simply may not be effective.

MRSA Exposure can be Costly to a Health Club Owner

There are so many unknowns for the Health Club owner. There is no way to know which client(s) may be carrying this devastating superbug. Health club owners can't stop the sweat; there is no surefire way to make sure the equipment is clean between clients and the locker room is a virtual incubator for the growth of methicillin resistant organisms. Current practices for health club sanitation are most assuredly not sufficient to protect clients. Every health club owner should be asking what they can do to assure Health Club and locker room safety. The impact of having rumors of unsanitary condition or worst yet having a health club facility shut down by the department of health because of MRSA can result in financial ruin.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is no respecter of persons. At every level, we need to be concerned about how to deal with protecting clients against MRSA in the health club.

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