Ian Thorpe suffering serious infection after undergoing shoulder surgery

Updated

Swimming great Ian Thorpe is in a Sydney hospital battling two potentially deadly infections, according to his agent.

The 31-year-old five-time Olympic gold medallist contracted the bugs after undergoing a series of surgeries on his shoulder.

His agent, James Erskine, says Thorpe is "quite sick" and will never again swim competitively.

However, Thorpe has received a number of visitors in hospital and is said to be in good spirits despite the apparent seriousness of his illness.

"He's on an IV drip, he has drains in his shoulder. He's a sick puppy, but at the end of the day he's not critical. He's not in intensive care," Erskine told ABC News 24.

"Like all these things, the doctors and nurses in Australia are good and it's bad luck that he got this and he's fighting it like he always has.

"He will get better quickly I'm sure."

Thorpe won't lose use of arm due to infection

Erskine also dismissed reports that Thorpe could lose the use of his arm because of the infections.

"That's just conjecture by press. At the end of the day he's got an infection and like all these things, they have to be treated seriously," he said.

"Although it's serious, no-one's talked to him about possibly not being able to use his arm or whatever."

But he said the injuries would end any chance of a future athletic career.

Sorry, this video has expired Video: James Erskine speaks with ABC News 24 (ABC News)

"He smashed his shoulder. I don't know exactly what parts of shoulder he broke, but all I can tell you is I have seen the X-rays and the plates and the pins that are in there - he looks like the bionic man," he said.

"He can hardly get out of bed to have a piddle. The answer is no he's not going to be back to competitive swimming.

"He's not going to be in the Commonwealth Games and he's not thinking about returning for the next Olympics."

What are superbugs? Superbugs are strains of bacteria which mutate after coming into contact with an antibiotic

The bacteria are resistant to antibiotics and the medication is ineffective in treating them

Thousands of people in Australia contract a superbug each year and face the prospect of prolonged illness or possibly death

Often associated with hospital visits, superbugs can be spread through poor hygiene and respiratory droplets

Overuse of antibiotics - in medicine and the agricultural sector - is thought to contribute to the bacteria's resistance

The World Health Organisation has identified antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest threats facing human health Source: ABC Health

It is understood the infection contracted by Thorpe is similar in nature to the potentially deadly Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) superbug that has swept some hospitals in Europe.

It is the latest upset in Thorpe's life, after it was revealed in February that the former Olympic champion was battling depression.

Thorpe sought help earlier this year after being found disoriented near his parents' home in southern Sydney, having taken a combination of antidepressants and medication for a shoulder injury.

Thorpe was sent for medical assessment to Bankstown Hospital and then entered a rehabilitation program.

He made an ill-fated attempt to compete at the 2012 London Olympics.

AAP/ABC

Topics: swimming, sport, health, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted