COVID-19 has already canceled some high school football games this season, but one high school in Pennsylvania has been forced to temporarily shut down its football program over outbreaks of impetigo and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
The Central Mountain High School team had practice per regular schedule Monday afternoon at Malinak Stadium in Mill Hall, but Monday night the football booster club received a message from assistant principal/athletic director Steve Hafele that the football program had been shut down until further notice.
The athletic director said a “deep cleaning” of the facilities is to begin on Tuesday to address impetigo and MRSA, both highly infectious bacterial infections. The Wildcats are scheduled for a scrimmage this Saturday at Bald Eagle Area High School and a season-opening trip to Shikellamy High Schoo, Aug. 27.
As reported by The Record of Clinton County, Hafele's letter reads:
Dear CM Athletics families,
Please take note: A few student-athletes have tested positive for Impetigo and MRSA that have been practicing in either varsity football and or varsity soccer.
Football has been shut down until further notice and both soccer programs have been moved to another field for the rest of the week. We will monitor the situation daily and provide updates.
It is the recommendation by KSCD over the next 24-48 hours that all student-athletes get checked by their primary doctor or an urgent care physician regardless of signs or symptoms for Impetigo and Mrsa. At a minimum, anyone displaying any skin lesions, bumps, or red marks, will need to have the attached form signed by a medical professional and returned prior to resuming participation in any KCSD sport. Please return to your individual head coach.
Also, find some additional information regarding both skin infections from the CDC.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Thank you in advance for your help in this matter.
Mr. Hafele
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
More information can be found by following the links below:
https://www.cdc.gov/groupas…/diseases-public/impetigo.html
https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/community/index.html
Stephen Hafele
Central Mountain
