03/31/2010
Merrill Field has been connected to MRSA infections among university athletes.
MRSA, or Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, is a severe antibiotic-resistant version of the more common staph infection. Caused by a bacteria, it is characterized by skin lesions that resemble boils or abscesses and is spread by skin-to-skin contact and contact with contaminated equipment.
Merrill Field, like any inanimate object, can become a repository for the bacteria, but it must first be contaminated.