HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. – An star high school wrestler from Long Island is in critical condition after he contracted two potentially deadly bacterial infections.
Sixteen-year-old Nick Mauriello of Hauppauge is battling the drug-resistant staph infection MRSA as well as another bacterial infection called Lemierre's syndrome. Doctors at Stony Brook University Medical Center say that infection is an offshoot of MRSA.
Mauriello was diagnosed last week after complaining of neck pains, breathing problems and limited mobility after competing in 18 matches over eight days.
The Hauppauge school district sent a letter to parents last week alerting them that there was a confirmed case of MRSA.
MRSA, which is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, can be transmitted through contact sports such as wrestling, football and basketball.
Mauriello was ranked fifth in Suffolk County at 125 pounds on Jan. 23.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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