The CDC emphasizes that disinfecting athletic facilities is crucial in preventing the spread of germs like MRSA.

In the NFL, New York Giants tight end Daniel Fells faced possible foot amputation due to a MRSA infection, despite undergoing five surgeries.

At the high school level, MRSA outbreaks are increasing in locker rooms, gyms, and on fields. A study linked MRSA to abrasions from artificial turf, and research by Texas State found football players’ infection rates were 16 times the national average. MRSA cases have grown from 2% of staph infections in 1974 to 63% by 2004.