Broward Student Athletes Possibly Infected With MRSA Leads To Countywide Locker Room Sanitation

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) — Gyms and locker rooms at all Broward County Public high schools underwent intense cleaning and disinfecting over the weekend after learning high school wrestlers are sick, possibly with the MRSA bacterial infection.

Letters went out to students and parents letting them know what's going on and how to prevent it.

"We're clean. We mop our mats every day," said wrestler David Mautte.

Mautte is a wrestler at Western High School. He's not too concerned, he says he knows how to prevent it.

"Just be clean, take a shower after you practice. If you have cuts or bruises, open wounds, just cover it up when you go to practice. Cover it up in general, make sure it's clean and you really won't get it."

Wrestlers from seven area high schools that had recent meets are supposed to check with their doctors.

Those schools include Cooper City, Miramar High School, Monarch, Nova High School, Taravella, West Broward, and Western High.

All high schools are getting thorough cleanings of equipment, weight rooms, locker rooms, shower areas, gymnasiums, and wrestling areas.

"The concern is that it is a bacteria that is resistant to a lot of antibiotics," said Dr. Benny Menendez with Broward Health.

Dr. Menendez runs the emergency department at Broward Health. He explains transmission is through direct contact with cuts or scrapes.

"You transmit the bacteria, towels, from a handshake. You are at the gym, you are lifting weights, you're grabbing the weights. All that can transmit the bacteria," said Dr. Menendez.

Precautions from the Centers for Disease Control call for frequently washing your hands, or using alcohol-based sanitizer, don't share towels, clothing or razors and keep any draining wounds clean and covered with a dry bandage.