Staph Infection Scare for Daphne Football Team

School officials confirmed that there are two known cases of staph infection on the Daphne High School football team.

The football players were treated by a family physician, and were not hospitalized. Officials stress that this is not MRSA, the "Medicine-Resistant Infection".

Staph enters the skin where there are cuts, nicks and abrasions, which is common to athletes. Coaches stress that students should keep any open wounds bandaged.

Coaches are currently sanitizing their facilities. "We also stay late and wash and dry practice cloth to reduce the spread of disease," wrote spokesperson Terry Wilhite in an email to News 5. "We encourage our parents to send disinfectant with their children."

The field house / weight room is used by approximately 300 students, male and female starting from 7:35 AM until 7:00 PM every day.

"We receive no janitorial help from the school, so please wash your child’s clothes daily and send him a couple of cans of Lysol," stated Wilhite.
Officials say there is no evidence that the staph infection can be tracked back to the locker room.

But this is not the first time staph has infected students at the high school.

"In the fall of 2007 we started with two and ended with seven known cases of staph infection (Some severe)", stated spokesperson Terry C. Wilhite in an email to News 5.

A teacher/coach was also admitted to Thomas Hospital with a very serious staph infection. "His severely swollen arm was drained of the infection daily over a three day period," stated Wilhite.

For more information on the illness from the Center for Disease Control, click here.