Memorial High Wrestlers Return To Mat After Herpes Gladiatorum Outbreak
Two Wrestlers Showed Signs Of Skin Rash
Updated: 7:46 am CST January 18, 2008
MADISON, Wis. -- James Madison Memorial High School wrestlers returned to practice on Thursday night after a recent outbreak of herpes gladiatorum.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportTwo wrestlers showed signs of the skin rash earlier this week, prompting the school to cancel a wrestling match with Middleton on Tuesday, WISC-TV reported.Memorial High School principal Bruce Dahmen said that after learning of the outbreak, they instructed the wrestling team and custodial staff to completely clean and disinfect all floors, walls and mats in the room that the team practices in."We cancelled wrestling practice here for the last couple days, because we felt it was just really important that we don't have the physical contact. Because that's where this is really transmitted, from the physical contact of the sport," Dahmen said.Local sports medicine doctors said that exposure to such an outbreak is a risk many wrestlers take because the virus is spread by skin contact. They said that it isn't uncommon to see occasional small outbreaks.Health officials said that the virus is similar to that of a cold sore, but can spread to other parts of the body."There are a number of infections that are unique to the wrestling world, and this is one of them," said Dr. David Bernhardt, a sports medicine doctor at University of Wisconsin Health.Last year, a larger outbreak in Minnesota forced the state to stop all wrestling meets for about two weeks, WISC-TV reported.Bernhardt said that proper treatment and preventative measures make this outbreak less of a concern."It's one of the risks of competing in a sport like wrestling. Although it is self-limited, it is a disease that can recur. Like other herpes infections, it can recur and you can have outbreaks," Bernhardt said.Memorial High School officials said that they have contacted other schools that they wrestled in the past week and a half because the virus has an eight-to-10 day incubation period, WISC-TV reported.Practice resumed Thursday, but the two infected wrestlers won't practice or wrestle until they're medically cleared to do so, officials said.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportTwo wrestlers showed signs of the skin rash earlier this week, prompting the school to cancel a wrestling match with Middleton on Tuesday, WISC-TV reported.Memorial High School principal Bruce Dahmen said that after learning of the outbreak, they instructed the wrestling team and custodial staff to completely clean and disinfect all floors, walls and mats in the room that the team practices in."We cancelled wrestling practice here for the last couple days, because we felt it was just really important that we don't have the physical contact. Because that's where this is really transmitted, from the physical contact of the sport," Dahmen said.Local sports medicine doctors said that exposure to such an outbreak is a risk many wrestlers take because the virus is spread by skin contact. They said that it isn't uncommon to see occasional small outbreaks.Health officials said that the virus is similar to that of a cold sore, but can spread to other parts of the body."There are a number of infections that are unique to the wrestling world, and this is one of them," said Dr. David Bernhardt, a sports medicine doctor at University of Wisconsin Health.Last year, a larger outbreak in Minnesota forced the state to stop all wrestling meets for about two weeks, WISC-TV reported.Bernhardt said that proper treatment and preventative measures make this outbreak less of a concern."It's one of the risks of competing in a sport like wrestling. Although it is self-limited, it is a disease that can recur. Like other herpes infections, it can recur and you can have outbreaks," Bernhardt said.Memorial High School officials said that they have contacted other schools that they wrestled in the past week and a half because the virus has an eight-to-10 day incubation period, WISC-TV reported.Practice resumed Thursday, but the two infected wrestlers won't practice or wrestle until they're medically cleared to do so, officials said.
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