Swimming with a Staph Infection: Risks and Recommendations

Avoid swimming with an active staph infection. Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA) can spread through contaminated water and surfaces, posing risks to others and worsening your own infection.

Risks

• Transmission: Bacteria shed from skin lesions into pool/hot tub water. Chlorine kills most staph but not instantly; crowded pools increase exposure.
• Wound contamination: Waterborne pathogens (Pseudomonas, atypical mycobacteria) can superinfect open lesions.
• Autoinoculation: Scratching wet lesions spreads bacteria to other body sites.
• Public health: Outbreaks linked to pools, whirlpools, locker rooms (towels, benches).

Guidelines

• Exclude from recreational water until lesions are healed and scab-free (typically 24–48 h after starting effective antibiotics + no drainage).
• Covering with waterproof bandage is not sufficient—bandages loosen, leak.
• Shower with chlorhexidine before/after swimming if colonized but no active infection (per facility policy).
• Do not share towels, razors, equipment.

Treatment

Incision & drainage for abscesses. Antibiotics per culture/sensitivity: MSSA → cephalexin, dicloxacillin; MRSA → TMP-SMX, doxycycline, clindamycin, linezolid. Decolonization (intranasal mupirocin + chlorhexidine washes) for recurrent infections.