Working out in the firehouse gym or joining a health club for your daily fitness regimen is a great way to stay in shape and keep fit for the job. But beware -- your workout could put you at risk for unexpected illness. Once isolated to hospitals and other health care settings, methicillin-resistant staphylococus – or MRSA – is increasingly finding its way into health club locker rooms, athletic training facilities and firehouses. These virulent and resilient – and sometimes deadly – staph infections are being reported in greater numbers among the general population as well.

Even before this more serious strain began spreading, staph has long been a health hazard for individuals who share locker rooms, towels, whirlpools, showers and other common areas. The bacteria is typically found in the nasal passages and on the skin of healthy people, but is potentially deadly when it enters the body through scratches and scrapes. Once inside, it can cause blood and joint infections – even pneumonia.

A study in 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 59 percent of all skin infections in U.S. emergency rooms were caused by MRSA. Doctors and pharmacists report difficulty finding an antibiotic to fight it.

Most Staph infections occur in individuals with weakened immune systems – usually patients in hospitals and long-term care facilities. People who have been hospitalized or had surgery within the past year are at high risk for MRSA, as are those receiving certain treatments, such as dialysis.

Fire fighters need to be aware of the rise in MRSA among otherwise healthy people with no history of hospitalization in the last year as many such infections have occurred among athletes, who – like fire fighters – work in close quarters and share equipment or personal items (such as towels or razors).

The infection most often appears in the skin and will look like a pimple, boil, abscess or spider bite. It may cause the skin to be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage coming from it.

The best way to prevent a MRSA infection is to practice good hygiene.

• Clean surfaces of exercise and sports equipment before and after use.
• Wear sports gloves when using gym equipment or use a towel or clothing to act as a barrier between exercise equipment and bare skin when visiting gyms or heath clubs.
• Keep hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
• Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.
• Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.
• Wear gardening gloves when working in the yard.
• Wear clothing with long sleeves and long pants to protect skin during activities likely to cause skin damage.
• Moisturize your skin with lotions to keep skin from cracking.
• Do not visit gyms or health clubs if skin lesions cannot be covered or wound drainage cannot be contained.
• Shower as soon as possible after exercise or athletic activities.
• Wash clothing and linens in hot water and detergent and dry in a hot dryer before others use them.

If you are diagnosed with MRSA, follow these steps outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Cover your wound. Keep wounds that are draining or have pus covered with clean, dry bandages. Follow your health care provider's instructions on proper care of the wound. Pus from infected wounds can contain staph and MRSA, so keeping the infection covered will help prevent the spread to others. Bandages or tape can be discarded in the regular trash.
• Clean your hands. You, your family and others in close contact should wash their hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.
• Talk to your doctor. Tell any health care providers who treat you that you have or had a staph or MRSA skin infection.
• Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces. It is important to clean contaminated surfaces with a household disinfectant such as bleach (1-cup bleach plus 9-cups of water). Areas to clean include: kitchen and bathroom countertops, toilets, doorknobs, bathtubs, or other areas touched by an infected person's hands or skin.