The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization among asymptomatic athletes is more than three times higher than the rate reported for the community population overall, a systematic review and meta-analysis showed.
Investigators searched PubMed and EMBASE looking for studies on MRSA colonization among the athletic community. They did not include studies involving individuals who previously were infected or had active MRSA infections. The database search yielded 382 studies, and of those, 15 were included in the meta-analysis, reported Dr. Styliani Karanika of Rhode Island Hospital’s infectious diseases division at Brown University, Providence, R.I. (Clin Infect Dis. 2016 April 18. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciw240).
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By conducting a statistical analysis among 1,495 screened asymptomatic athletic team members (athletes and staff), Dr. Karanika and colleagues were able to see how the prevalence of MRSA colonization differed among athletes by level of playing experience and sport. The investigators found that the 6% prevalence of MRSA colonization among asymptomatic athletes was comparable to the prevalence among patients on dialysis (6%) and those with HIV (6.9%). Among college athletes, the 13% prevalence of MRSA was almost twice the rate found among patients in intensive care units (7%).
When it came to individual sports, the highest prevalence was found in wrestling (22%), followed by football (8%) and basketball (8%). The risk for subsequent MRSA skin and soft tissue infection among colonized athletes was more than seven times higher than the risk of MRSA skin and soft tissue infection among noncolonized athletes within a 3-month follow-up period upon documented MRSA colonization. Decolonization treatment was effective in reducing the risk of infection in colonized individuals.
“Our findings highlight the importance of controlling the spread of MRSA in the athletic setting, particularly among collegiate athletes,” Dr. Karanika said in an interview.
Dr. Karanika noted that athletes are more susceptible to MRSA because of the frequency of skin abrasions, close contact, shared equipment and training facilities, and poor hygiene practices that can result from the intense demands and time restrictions. Because the prevalence of MRSA colonization is high among this group, coaches, athletes, and athletic trainers should be aware of the early symptoms of a MRSA skin and soft tissue infection, and they should be educated about proper hygiene and prevention and control protocols to halt the spread of MRSA.
Though researchers found decolonization to be effective at reducing the risk of subsequent infection, they believe more research is needed to determine the durability and feasibility of decolonization regimens. Until these protocols are established, they said, strategies including implementing MRSA surveillance in athletes, environmental surveys, and regularly occurring physical examinations of athletes over the course of the season might help break the cycle of MRSA colonization-infection-transmission in athletic settings.
The investigators declared no conflicts of interest.