OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla.,None — An Osceola County teenager is in the hospital, fighting the bacterial infection Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and his family wants to help others avoid the same situation.
Ishmael Ariza, 14, attends Liberty High School, where he plays freshman football.
Ariza thought he was suffering from a football injury until he was diagnosed with the drug resistant staph infection.
MRSA can be picked up anywhere, like in someone's house, a gym, or even school.
Now, his family is warning others to be more aware and informed about the infection.
"Seeing him in this state at the stage in his life is very difficult,” said Ishmael’s brother, Jose Ariza. “It's a struggle for me and especially a struggle for him.”
Ariza's family may never know where he contracted the infection.
MRSA is not a reportable illness, which means it is not tracked by the health department.
MRSA has been a problem at Liberty High School before. Three years ago, three other students there contracted it, and one died.
Football player Darius Bentley first tested positive for the bacteria in 2008. Then his brother, Alonzo Smith, contracted the infection and died when it entered his blood stream.
The third student, Thomas Biejansky recovered from his illness.