Staph infection from climbing gyms?

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GDavis

Social climber
SOL CAL
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 28, 2016 - 12:17pm PT
Something I was thinking about the other day...

I've gotten really bad staph a few times from other gyms, mats etc. Never at a climbing gym. Never knew anyone who had or seen a case at the gyms I'm at.

I'm sure it happens... a couple years ago at Mesa Rim I took a leak with my shoes on and got a proper dress down from a member about taking shoes into the bathroom. Makes sense, and I don't anymore, but the dude was pretty pissed and I don't think this is something I even had on my radar at the time.

The MMA gym I worked at for a while, though, I damn near bleached my whole body after training.

The face and torso/limbs seem more susceptable to staph than hands, perhaps that is why? Thoughts? Am I ignorant (or more than I already am?)
michaeld

climber
Beta Sprayer at your Gym
Mar 28, 2016 - 12:21pm PT
I know a couple people who have recently gotten staph from our gym.

Both needed IV antibiotics from the hospital to bring down the swelling. One got it on the elbow, another on the knee.
GDavis

Social climber
SOL CAL
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 28, 2016 - 12:30pm PT
EEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW

I've seen staph on those spots before. Lots of cuts from climbing there as well...
looks easy from here

climber
Ben Lomond, CA
Mar 28, 2016 - 12:36pm PT
Most skin to surface contact in a climbing gym is just the pads of the fingers. Limited abrasions on thick skin with constant air/light exposure and drying agent (chalk) doesn't make for very good infection conditions. Compare that to the large scale scouring that grinding on mats does to thin, sweaty skin that's then bundled up under a shirt.

I also assume that padded mats make a better petri dish than plastic holds do be able to hold infectious agents longer. Similarly you never hear about ringworm from climbing indoors, but plenty from wrestling, etc.
John M

climber
Mar 28, 2016 - 12:48pm PT
curious about using UV light for gyms.. I have heard that they are now using it in hospitals to disinfect large areas.
Trashman

Trad climber
SLC
Mar 28, 2016 - 12:49pm PT
+1 on cracks. A couple of friends got matching gobi infections at the gym in Sandy a few years back.
michaeld

climber
Beta Sprayer at your Gym
Mar 28, 2016 - 12:49pm PT
Our gym just got a ceiling fan to circulate the fart smell and body odor from the granola folk. I don't see a UV light system in their budget. I'll just wear long pants and try really really hard not to keep fist-f*#king the wall.
Escopeta

Trad climber
Idaho
Mar 28, 2016 - 12:52pm PT
Stop licking the gym mats and you should see immediate results.
Roots

Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
Mar 28, 2016 - 01:12pm PT
f'n gross...I never even thought of getting an infection from a gym. I must live under a rock as it is glaring now that you mention it.

I get the whole don't wear shoes into the bathroom PC thing, but if you think hard about it; it doesn't really make much of a difference. Our shoes track sht everywhere, every day. And do you think most 20yo wash their hands after pssing or shtting?
Dickly

Social climber
KY
Mar 28, 2016 - 01:20pm PT
Stop licking the gym mats and you should see immediate results.

Actually you should lick the floor or the holds just a little bit each time just to get your body used to it.
sween345

climber
back east
Mar 28, 2016 - 02:39pm PT
In case you missed it the first time around

http://www.climbing.com/news/study-finds-fecal-veneer-on-gym-holds/
Escopeta

Trad climber
Idaho
Mar 28, 2016 - 02:41pm PT
Stop licking the gym mats and you should see immediate results.

Actually you should lick the floor or the holds just a little bit each time just to get your body used to it.

You'll need to talk to limpingcrab for the Beta on that.
Gilroy

Social climber
Bolderado
Mar 28, 2016 - 02:49pm PT
In case you missed it the first time around

http://www.climbing.com/news/study-finds-fecal-veneer-on-gym-holds/

Lottsa' shitty holds on the pink route.
GDavis

Social climber
SOL CAL
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 28, 2016 - 03:00pm PT
Back in the day climbing gyms (well, some anyway) had to cater to little kids birthday parties to get enough revenue to stay open.

Bacteria be damned, pizza grease and boogers were the real culprits at Solid Rock.
Matt's

climber
Mar 28, 2016 - 03:04pm PT
how do you ever prove that the staph infection came from the gym? Seems quite difficult to me. Just because you got an infected cut and climbed at the gym doesn't mean those two facts are related...

If staph infections were a serious problem at climbing gyms, I would think epidemiological would exist by this point...
GDavis

Social climber
SOL CAL
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 28, 2016 - 03:19pm PT
If you crack climb in the gym you deserve some blood born pathogens.


C'mon people....



;)
Mei

Trad climber
I'm back!
Mar 28, 2016 - 03:32pm PT
https://www.avma.org/public/Health/Pages/Outdoor-Enthusiasts-Precautions.aspx

Oops, I think I posted the wrong link. Here is the one about Staph:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/365249-staph-infections-from-the-gym/

So, yes, you can definitely pick up Staph infection from a gym. I've heard it happen to someone, whom someone I know knows. You can also pick up 20 other diseases outdoors too.

Stay home, stay sterile, and stay safe...

P.S. It seems to me that disaster talks often times gain more/faster attention than climbing discussions/trip reports here.


Moof

Big Wall climber
Orygun
Mar 28, 2016 - 03:34pm PT
Plywood off widths and thin hand cracks carry the most flesh eating bacteria in a climbing gym.

Funny, they appear to mostly have a thin layer of dust on them.

I see the hand crack at the local gym used only one every few visits, and the finger crack maybe once out of a dozen visits. We have no wide crack, sadly. My guess is I would be about the only taker.
Roots

Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
Mar 28, 2016 - 04:07pm PT
eeeww..no more crack climbing at gyms for me. Again, I never even considered these issues and most people I know consider me a germ-a- phoebe.
Matt's

climber
Mar 28, 2016 - 04:38pm PT
Mei-- you're gonna cite livestrong as evidence? Give me a break...I only trust Armstrong for blood doping advice.

I think that gym holds don't see any more human contact than all the other surfaces that exist in an urban setting.
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