METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS IN A HIGH-SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY

Objectives: To describe a community outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and to investigate risk factors for MRSA transmission and infection in a wrestling team. Design: Case series an d retrospective cohort study. Setting: A high school wrestling team an d the surrounding community in southern Vermont, 1993 to 1994. Patient s or Other Participants: The case series included persons whose MRSA-p ositive infections were identified at a hospital laboratory from Janua ry 1, 1993, through February 28, 1994, and a health maintenance organi zation laboratory from July 1, 1993, through February 28, 1994. A wres tling team case-patient was a 1993-1994 team member with an MRSA-posit ive culture during the period from January 1, 1993, through February 2 8, 1994. Interventions: Visual inspection of wrestlers before matches was instituted. affected wrestlers were excluded from wrestling and ad vised to seek appropriate medical care. Heightened attention was given to personal and environmental hygiene. Main Outcome Measures: Coloniz ation or infection with MRSA. Results: Seven of 32 team members were M RSA positive (6 infected, 1 colonized). All lesion-positive wrestlers were tested by pulsed field gel electrophoresis and found to be infect ed with the same MRSA strain, as were 6 nonwrestlers. No risk factors for MRSA infection were identified. Conclusions: The MRSA was transmit ted among members of a wrestling team. Infection with MRSA should be s uspected in outbreaks of boils that are nonresponsive to standard anti biotic therapy among healthy participants of contact sports and their close contacts.