How is MRSA Spread?
MRSA staph can be contracted in any place where physical contact with other people occurs. It can exist on materials that an infected person has touched, such as a towel or razor, and on surfaces in athletic arenas, gyms, locker rooms, and playgrounds. The CDC has already identified clusters of MRSA in such places.
Outbreaks are common among high school football players, who have a lot of physical contact and cuts and scrapes.
There is evidence that MRSA staph infections can be acquired through airborne particles, although not much information is readily available on that.
In addition to schools, sports, locker rooms, etc., another area to be concerned about when it comes to children and MRSA is the rising popularity of tattoos and body piercing. In June 2006, the Centers for Disease Control reported a cluster of 44 MRSA infections in people who had been tattooed in 2004-2005 in the states of Ohio, Kentucky, and Vermont. These infections were traced back to 13 different illegal tattoo artists.
