KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- An 18-year-old Central Florida high school football player died from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, according to health officials.

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Alonzo Smith, who attended Kissimmee Liberty High School, died early Monday morning after going to the hospital Friday morning because of back spasms, school officials said. He was treated and released but returned to the hospital Sunday morning.

Death from MRSA is rare, Osceola County Health Department officials said.

Local 6 reported that Smith's funeral is Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Assembly of God Church. A wake is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. at Mt. Pleasant Church of God by Faith.

The health department is assisting Osceola County school officials in educating students, parents, faculty, staff and coaches regarding MRSA.

MRSA is a type of staph that is resistant to antibiotics called beta-lactams. Beta-lactam antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as penicillin, amoxicillin and oxacillin.

Factors that have been associated with the spread of staph infections, including MRSA skin infections, include close skin-to-skin contact, openings in the skin, such as cuts or abrasions, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions and poor hygiene.

The Florida Department of Health recommends the practice of good hygiene to prevent staph or MRSA infections:

Keep hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.

Avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages.

Do not pop boils. This should only be done by a doctor.

Avoid sharing personal items, such as towels or razors.

Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to simply as "staph," are bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. Sometimes, staph can cause an infection. Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the United States.

Most of the skin infections are minor, such as pimples and boils and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. It can be treated without antibiotics.

However, staph bacteria also can cause serious infections, such as surgical wound infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia.

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