Login    Join    Forgot Password?
Health Refs
Good to Know!

Me We Too app
Shout Our Universe app
Keywords
Contracting herpes from wrestling prevalent
Posted 8 years ago
Updated 8 years ago
Posted By 
wildcherry
0 Fans
0 Friends

San Jose High School wrestler Blake Flovin says he contracted herpes gladiatorum, caused by the herpes virus, during a match.  He wants this weekend's state tournament postponed until after an incubation period is over to protect other students, as he may have exposed students during practice.

"Either they need to be stopped from wrestling or the state tournament needs to be postponed. Just trying to prevent this disease from getting to other people," he says.

"Kids going to the state tournament, if it's to goes on, they should know about the risks of this and what they could be exposed to," Flovin's mother, Rena, says.

Herpes gladiatorum is a lifelong infection that can flare up after the initial outbreak.

It's prevalent in the wrestling community.

But no change:

School officials say wrestlers must pass a skin inspection before stepping onto the mats.

The California Interscholastic Federation says the tournament will go on, per national protocol, and doctors will be on hand.

(via ABC7 News "SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLER SAYS HE CONTRACTED HERPES DURING MATCH")

Article from WebMD in 2000 also states that herpes transmission in wrestling is prevalent:

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) acquired during wrestling is one of the most common infections caused by personal contact during athletic activity, according to a report in the December issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.Physicians say the condition, called herpes gladiatorum, causes skin lesions on the head, neck, and shoulders that are often misdiagnosed.

Worth the risk?

"Skin contact is the primary mode of HSV-1 transmission," says Mark Dworkin, MD, MPHTM, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC. "In wrestling, the head and neck are major points of contact, and over 90% of the lesions we observed erupted in this area." Dworkin tells WebMD that "herpes can reactivate over the lifespan in times of physical and emotional stress. Herpes can also result in serious systemic illness and vision loss years later, particularly if immunity is compromised." Sports medicine experts say wrestlers with active lesions should be temporarily excluded from participating in wrestling events.

"Even though it's common sense for an infectious athlete to sit out, sometimes there's pressure on high school kids to continue," says Guy Nicolette, MD, the varsity team physician and clinical assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville. "Some are afraid of losing a scholarship. Others are afraid of losing the respect of their coach. That's a lot to handle during adolescence."

(via "Herpes Gladiatorum Is Common Among Wrestlers")

Some myth/facts according to HealthAssist website:

Myth: A person can usually predict when their herpes may be contagious.

Fact: The herpes virus can be active on the surface of the skin without showing any signs or causing any symptoms.

Myth: A person can only spread the herpes virus during an outbreak.

Fact: A person can spread the virus even when there is no an outbreak. In fact, one study found that up to 70% of people who had herpes got it from their partner when the partner had no signs or symptoms of an outbreak.

(via HealthAssist: "Myths and Facts About Herpes")

Comments/Ratings (0)
Most Hits
Swimming with sharks at your own risk - you can get bit
Katarina Zarutskie, 19-year-old nursing student at University of Miami and Instagram model from Laguna Beach, California, swam with nurse sharks in the ocean off the Bahamas' Staniel Cay last month.  Floating one minute and then yanked under water by a 5-foot shark the next."He had my wrist in his mouth and I could feel his teeth sinking into my arm," Zarutskie told NBC News on Monday....[ Read More... ]
Report scrapbook by:
Report a concern
Comments:
Name:
Email (not posted) :
Website:
Comment:
Enter Captcha Code:
Case Sensitive
Please use the form below to post your comment/rating!
Name:
Email (not posted):
Rating:
1 star out of 52 stars out of 53 stars out of 54 stars out of 55 stars out of 5
Subject:
Comment:
Enter Captcha Code:
Case Sensitive
Subscription Added!
Comments/Ratings (0)
Sort By
No Comments, be the first to comment!
Report comment by:
Report a concern
Comments: