This sounds downright terrifying.
New York Giants tight end Daniel Fells is fighting to save his foot after he was diagnosed with an MRSA infection.
The NFL star was admitted to hospital after developing a high fever last week. He had been battling a foot injury and received a cortisone shot, but the pain only intensified and Fells, 32, now faces a battle to avoid having the foot amputated.
MRSA is a highly resistant bacteria and there are fears that it could enter his blood stream. Should his current course of antibiotics fail to stop the spread of the infection, that life-threatening possibility would prompt an amputation.
Either way, Fells' career is most likely over, making him the third player in recent years to be forced to retire as the result of MRSA.
Scottish kicker Lawrence Tynes, who won a Super Bowl with the Giants before joining Tampa Bay, and All-Pro guard Carl Nicks also fell victim to MRSA.
The Giants have taken precautions to stop the spread of the infection by scrubbing and sanitising team facilities ahead of last night's victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
"This is a serious situation that has been taken seriously from the beginning. We're all fighting for Daniel," team spokesman Pat Hanlon said.
