Local staph infections raise questions about sanitation
By Rochelle Hentges
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
October 5, 2005
The seat of the exercise bike glistens with sweat. The shower floor sprouts patches of green. Perspiration soaks the communal towels. They're gross scenes, but they might be dangerous, too.
Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, is the most common form of bacteria in the United States, and it's transmitted easily through contact with contaminated people or surfaces. Athletic facilities, including your local gym, are especially prone to contamination, said Guillermo Cole, Allegheny County Health Department spokesman. Multiple people using the same exercise and weight machines, mats, showers and even towels -- you do the math.
A recent staph outbreak among high school athletes has increased concern about sanitation in gyms, too. Infections of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, have been reported among football players at Mt. Lebanon and North Allegheny high schools as well as a school in the Baldwin-Whitehall district, Cole said. Last week, the Charleroi school district in Washington County also reported that members of a high school football team were infected with MRSA.
Most private gyms have certain cleanliness practices in place, but there aren't any state-mandated regulations or routine inspections of facilities, except for those with pools, spas and hot tubs, Cole said.
And they're not required to report staph infections, because most infections are very mild and result in skin irritation, Cole said. It's less common for the infections to lead to illness, although it has been known to cause pneumonia and, in very rare cases, death.
Although staph infections rarely have severe consequences, the pimple or boil-like bumps that result from skin infections aren't going to win you any dates.
The Downtown Athletic Club sanitizes its cardio machines two to three times a day, and the locker and shower facilities get cleaned daily, said owner Marian Zanek, but gym members must also take responsibility for common-sense cleanliness.
Staff give members free sweat towels and hand sanitizers, and the gym sells flip-flops, Zanek said. Signs posted throughout the gym endorse frequent hand washing, and members are expected to use the provided disinfectant sprays to clean the machines before and after each use, she said.
Disinfectant sprays are a common sight at most gyms, but because gyms don't face state regulations, not all facilities provide them. At the Downtown Curves gym, the machines are cleaned solely by staff twice a day, said manager Betty Wallace, but disinfectant sprays are not put out for use by members.
Abbey DeChristefero, 21, of Shadyside, might have a hard time exercising at a gym that didn't provide disinfectant sprays. DeChristefero was a student at Gannon University in Erie when an outbreak of staph occurred, and it's something she still worries about.
When she works out at X Shadyside, she makes sure to spray the machines with disinfectant after each use, and she's happy to see that most others do the same.
"I just think it's common courtesy," DeChristefero said.
Unfortunately, DeChristefero said she's been to gyms before where people didn't make use of the disinfectant sprays. Although satisfied with the overall cleanliness of her gym, DeChristefero still avoids the showers by washing up at her home just a few blocks away.
"You can't enforce good hygiene," Zanek said.
Q&A
Question: What is Staphylococcus aureus?
Answer: Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, is a bacteria that resides on the skin or in the nose. It is the most common cause of skin infections in the U.S.
Q: How prevalent is it?
A: About 25 percent to 30 percent of people are colonized with staph -- meaning the bacteria is present but no infection has occurred. One percent of people are colonized with MRSA, a strain of the bacteria that is resistant to the beta-lactam antibiotics.
Q: What happens if you're infected?
A: Skin infections are the most common and result in pimple or boil-like bumps. Less commonly, staph can lead to pneumonia or wound, urinary tract and bloodstream infections. It also can lead to death, an even rarer occurrence.
Q: What causes infections?
A: Factors associated with infection include skin-to-skin contact, cuts or abrasions in the skin, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions and poor hygiene.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
By Rochelle Hentges
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
October 5, 2005
The seat of the exercise bike glistens with sweat. The shower floor sprouts patches of green. Perspiration soaks the communal towels. They're gross scenes, but they might be dangerous, too.
Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, is the most common form of bacteria in the United States, and it's transmitted easily through contact with contaminated people or surfaces. Athletic facilities, including your local gym, are especially prone to contamination, said Guillermo Cole, Allegheny County Health Department spokesman. Multiple people using the same exercise and weight machines, mats, showers and even towels -- you do the math.
A recent staph outbreak among high school athletes has increased concern about sanitation in gyms, too. Infections of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, have been reported among football players at Mt. Lebanon and North Allegheny high schools as well as a school in the Baldwin-Whitehall district, Cole said. Last week, the Charleroi school district in Washington County also reported that members of a high school football team were infected with MRSA.
Most private gyms have certain cleanliness practices in place, but there aren't any state-mandated regulations or routine inspections of facilities, except for those with pools, spas and hot tubs, Cole said.
And they're not required to report staph infections, because most infections are very mild and result in skin irritation, Cole said. It's less common for the infections to lead to illness, although it has been known to cause pneumonia and, in very rare cases, death.
Although staph infections rarely have severe consequences, the pimple or boil-like bumps that result from skin infections aren't going to win you any dates.
The Downtown Athletic Club sanitizes its cardio machines two to three times a day, and the locker and shower facilities get cleaned daily, said owner Marian Zanek, but gym members must also take responsibility for common-sense cleanliness.
Staff give members free sweat towels and hand sanitizers, and the gym sells flip-flops, Zanek said. Signs posted throughout the gym endorse frequent hand washing, and members are expected to use the provided disinfectant sprays to clean the machines before and after each use, she said.
Disinfectant sprays are a common sight at most gyms, but because gyms don't face state regulations, not all facilities provide them. At the Downtown Curves gym, the machines are cleaned solely by staff twice a day, said manager Betty Wallace, but disinfectant sprays are not put out for use by members.
Abbey DeChristefero, 21, of Shadyside, might have a hard time exercising at a gym that didn't provide disinfectant sprays. DeChristefero was a student at Gannon University in Erie when an outbreak of staph occurred, and it's something she still worries about.
When she works out at X Shadyside, she makes sure to spray the machines with disinfectant after each use, and she's happy to see that most others do the same.
"I just think it's common courtesy," DeChristefero said.
Unfortunately, DeChristefero said she's been to gyms before where people didn't make use of the disinfectant sprays. Although satisfied with the overall cleanliness of her gym, DeChristefero still avoids the showers by washing up at her home just a few blocks away.
"You can't enforce good hygiene," Zanek said.
Q&A
Question: What is Staphylococcus aureus?
Answer: Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, is a bacteria that resides on the skin or in the nose. It is the most common cause of skin infections in the U.S.
Q: How prevalent is it?
A: About 25 percent to 30 percent of people are colonized with staph -- meaning the bacteria is present but no infection has occurred. One percent of people are colonized with MRSA, a strain of the bacteria that is resistant to the beta-lactam antibiotics.
Q: What happens if you're infected?
A: Skin infections are the most common and result in pimple or boil-like bumps. Less commonly, staph can lead to pneumonia or wound, urinary tract and bloodstream infections. It also can lead to death, an even rarer occurrence.
Q: What causes infections?
A: Factors associated with infection include skin-to-skin contact, cuts or abrasions in the skin, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions and poor hygiene.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
