News 12 at 6 o'clock, October 19, 2007

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Places where people share equipment are breeding grounds for MRSA. That's why David Boyd makes sure his gym is spotless.

"You have a lot of people using the equipment. Everybody sweats and after a while it can cause bacterial infections, staph infections and other stuff you want to avoid," says Boyd.

So, to avoid germs David makes sure the equipment gets scrubbed down daily. It's also cleaned after each use and hand sanitizer is on every corner. It's all measures to kill germs and prevent infections.

Doctor Jim Wilde says sanitizing equipment is essential for avoiding MRSA infections.

"If you have athletic equipment, in particular things where there've been a lot of people congregating, there's more potential for it to be contaminated by somebody with MRSA," says Dr. Wilde

MRSA spreads through person to person contact and most people don't even know they have it.

"One of the more common mistakes people make is assuming this is a spider bite. If you think you have a wound on your arm that's tender and swollen and you think it's a spider bite, most likely it's not," says Wilde, "most likely it's MRSA."

Doctors say the treatment for it does not involve medicine most times.

"The treatment for MRSA is to open it up and let the pus out. Treating with antibiotics without letting pus out is a waste of time," explains Dr. Wilde.

But it's worth your time to remember the basics, wash your hands and be especially careful when you're in high contact areas.