An outbreak of herpes gladiatorum at a high-school wrestling camp

Article Abstract:

The term herpes gladiatorum refers to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) transmitted among wrestlers or rugby players. It was first recognized as a health risk for wrestlers in the mid 1960s. To learn more about the transmission of this disease, believed to be endemic among high school and college wrestlers, an investigation was carried out of an HSV-1 outbreak among high school wrestlers at a four-week training camp (July 1989). The camp was in Minneapolis and was attended by wrestlers from 26 states and 1 Canadian province. Wrestlers wore jerseys during practice sessions, but the use of headgear was optional. Wrestling mats were mopped twice each day with disinfectant. Epidemiologic and clinical data were collected during the final two days of the camp after officials alerted the Minnesota Department of Health, which, in turn, alerted the Centers for Disease Control. Results from 171 wrestlers (of 175 attendees) showed that 35 percent (60 boys) met the case definition for HSV-1 infection. Details of the lesions are presented. Most of the lesions were not located at the typical sites of HSV-1 infection (the mouth and lip), but were, instead, on the head (in 73 percent of the cases), extremities (42 percent), and trunk (28 percent). Heavyweight wrestlers had higher attack rates (67 percent) than middleweights (37 percent) and lightweights (25 percent). Those who remembered having wrestled with someone with a noticeable skin rash had higher attack rates than those who did not recall such an event. Based on laboratory analyses, four distinct HSV-1 strains were isolated. The results indicate that herpes gladiatorum is transmitted mainly by skin-to-skin contact. The role of the practice mat in transmission could not be determined. Such transmission constitutes a serious health risk and participants in this sport, as well as their coaches and parents, need to understand this fact. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Physiological aspects, Diseases, Disease transmission, Herpes simplex virus, Wrestlers

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Emerging infections -- another warning

Article Abstract:

Four reports in the April 27th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine illustrate the need for a public health infrastructure to deal with outbreaks of infectious diseases. The reports detail an outbreak of Nipah virus infection in Malaysia, antibiotic-reistant Salmonella infection in a child linked to antibiotic use in cattle, enteritis from eating chitterlings in a diabetic child, and an outbreak of Listeria food poisoning in an elementary school linked to contaminated corn.

Editorial, Reports, Communicable diseases

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Preparing for the next pandemic

Article Abstract:

Influenza experts are recognizing the inevitability of another pandemic of influenza, thereby increasing the rates of influenza vaccination and reducing the burden of influenza disease and related deaths. The Department of Health and Human Services is rapidly ramping up research related to the production of an effective vaccine for this problem.

United Kingdom, Science & research, Health aspects, Research, Risk factors, Influenza vaccines, Drug therapy, Influenza

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