Many healthy people carry staph bacteria on their skin and in their noses and never get sick or develop a staph infection. However, when the skin is punctured or cut for any number of reasons, the bacteria can enter the skin and cause an infection. The bacteria Staphylococcus aureas can easily spread from person to person in a number of different ways, and is the leading cause of staph infections in kids and adults.
Hands and Fingernails
Kids often spread staph around their body or pass it to others via dirty hands and fingernails, according to KidsHealth. Thorough hand washing is an easy way to help prevent the spread of staph bacteria, and requires children to scrub their hands for at least 30 seconds before drying them with a disposable towel. They should use this towel to turn off the faucet. When soap and water are not readily available, hand sanitizers with alcohol are also effective.
Skin Cuts and Abrasions
Parents should make efforts to keep cuts, rashes, abrasions and wounds clean via frequent baths or showers, and keep cuts covered with a sterile and dry bandage. According to MayoClinic.com, this helps ensure that wounds heal without staph contamination. In wounds that already contain staph, covering them will help keep any staph-infected pus or ooze from spreading.
Contact Sports
Kids who play contact sports, or who play rough where skin-to-skin contact is likely, are at risk for coming in contact with staph bacteria. According to MayoClinic.com, older children who share personal items after sports, including towels, clothing or athletic equipment, are also at risk, since staph can spread to objects as well as from person to person. Parents should wash towels, linens and athletic apparel in hot water with bleach and dry on a high cycle to help kill the bacteria.
In addition, KidsHealth points out that a warm and humid environment can contribute to staph infections, which means that excessive sweating during contact sports can put children at even higher risk.
