D.C. United midfielder Santino Quaranta recently came down with a staph infection.  Thanks to the team's medical staff, Quaranta is recovering nicely and will return to the field soon. Quaranta's infection is a reminder of how serious a staph infection can be.

To reiterate the importance of properly treating all infections, D.C. United's team doctor, Dr. Chris Annunziata, has a message to players and coaches, and the sports community in general:

"The most important message is something that we try to convey to all the sports communities; to be very vigilant with these wounds.  If you see players develop a little wound that starts getting red or raised or uncomfortable it’s time to be more proactive about it, because if you get it early, you can treat it usually adequately with antibiotics and you can limit its spread.  The main thing though is education.  Another thing too is cleanliness.  It’s important not to share towels or share equipment.  It’s important if you do have a wound to keep it covered and to keep a close eye on it.  It’s not like MRSA is going to take over the world and really cause an incredible number of deaths in young healthy people, it’s not that at all.  But it’s something that we’re certainly concerned about."

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