Staph infection from climbing gyms?

Mei - you're gonna cite livestrong as evidence? Give me a break...I only trust Armstrong for blood doping advice.

There is a universal solution to the problem of getting staph from climbing gyms.......

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.

"C. difficile bacteria are passed in feces and spread to food, surfaces and objects when people who are infected don't wash their hands thoroughly. The bacteria produce spores that can persist in a room for weeks or months. If you touch a surface contaminated with C. difficile, you may then unknowingly swallow the bacteria."...

HOW RISKY IS A GYM, REALLY?

MRSA bacteria live on the skin and within moist body cavities such as nasal passages and under fingernails, and spread most often by hand-to-hand contact. The bacteria can survive on a foreign surface, such as a climbing hold, for days. According to tests, MRSA can survive on clean stainless steel surfaces for more than 72 hours. The bacteria cause infections most often through entering open wounds, but that is not always necessary for infection.

A hold on a route at a typical gym may be contacted by hundreds of hands and feet every few days. “Imagine vigorously shaking hands with 500 people,” says Day. It may not be only where a person’s fingers have been that you have to worry about on those climbing holds though. Gym users who rent shoes often wear them without socks. People walk on mats and every shoe that touches a hold has stepped on a mat. Consider the number of bodies lounging on or impacting the mats at the base of climbs.

“We must be clear about what is hypothetical and what is fact,” says Dr. Paul Auerbach, clinical professor of surgery in emergency medicine at Stamford University. Auerbach is also founder of the Wilderness Medical Society, and author of the blog “Medicine for the Outdoors” at www.healthline.com. He maintains that the actual risk for contracting CA-MRSA infection at a gym will not be known until bacterial cultures are taken and the germs are identified.

“Are people in climbing gyms at greater risk than persons who grab the banister at a theater? It’s possible, but we don’t yet have any proof.” Auerbach insists that until there is data, there is no reason to panic. He adds, however, that given the risk for transmission of any bacteria from a shared surface, it is logical to take precautions.

does washing your hands with antibacterial soap (before or after cutting them in the gym or outside) increase the chances you're going to get MRSA????? Maybe it is better to keep your hands coated in a hearty stock of benign bacteria...