Nine football players and a staff member at Iona College in New Rochelle have been diagnosed with an antibiotic-resistant staph infection.

Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Joshua Lipsman confirmed the staph infections at the college are Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, which have spread through schools nationwide in recent weeks. Lipsman said the infection doesn?t respond to antibiotics, but can be treated with other drugs.

College officials said two of the cases were caught last month. They said all the cases are mild because they were caught early. Doctors say staph is common occurrence, and that one out of three people contract a benign form of the infection. They said the resistant strain is a result of overuse of internal and external antibiotics.

While Lipsman called the infection at Iona, a ?low-level outbreak,? he praised the college?s efforts to stem the spread of MRSA. He said staff members will be on campus next week to ensure precautions are taken. College officials are also reviewing ways to improve procedures.

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