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Medical Journal Says Rams Were Infected

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From Associated Press

Five members of the St. Louis Rams developed infections after sustaining turf burns in 2003, and a few members of the San Francisco 49ers also developed infections after playing the Rams early that season, a medical researcher said Friday.

The outbreak was the subject of an article in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers believe skin-to-skin transmission among athletes in contact sports and inadequate hygiene play a role in the growing incidence of the skin infection resistant to methicillin, an antibiotic commonly used to treat typical staph infections, said Dr. Sophia Kazakova, one of the authors of the study.

“This is a concern because it can cause serious infection,” Kazakova said. She called for increased awareness among sports trainers and increased monitoring by public health authorities.

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Turf burns occur frequently when players are tackled or slide on the ground, and are much more common on artificial turf such as that at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. Ram Coach Mike Martz has been critical of the turf as hard and unforgiving.

The article did not name the Ram players but said they included four offensive and defensive linemen and one linebacker. Researchers believe players with larger body mass such as linemen are more susceptible to the infection.

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Baltimore Raven running back Jamal Lewis reported to a federal prison camp in Florida to serve a four-month sentence for using a cellphone to try to set up a cocaine deal, Dan Dunne, a U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesman said. He said Lewis reported to Federal Prison Camp at Pensacola on Saufley Field.

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Atlanta running back Warrick Dunn was honored as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his “Homes for the Holiday” program, which helps single mothers become first-time homeowners.

Dunn launched the community service program during his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1997. He has made the down payments for 52 single mothers on fully furnished homes in Atlanta, Tampa, Fla., and Baton Rouge, La.

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