1c:I[419806,["/_next/static/chunks/bb923814e1f4d2e9.js","/_next/static/chunks/dd3ee9f5b7716ca6.js","/_next/static/chunks/4204a0ae82542ca8.js","/_next/static/chunks/30036bedc5269936.js","/_next/static/chunks/6e1aa89a642f40be.js","/_next/static/chunks/cd5e572bc3e4eb92.js","/_next/static/chunks/8ffd0b71567920d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/67ea6dfd21f16c5f.js","/_next/static/chunks/24eb4379f68013fd.js","/_next/static/chunks/b8cd775ffdf935bd.js","/_next/static/chunks/983103cd9eb7b428.js","/_next/static/chunks/d4ac9dcf27f6ff52.js","/_next/static/chunks/294b9525248c8e5f.js"],"default"] 1d:T4db,Initial reports of herpes gladiatorum, a skin infection of wrestlers caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV), focused on case histories and clinical presentations of this disease. To more adequately address broader epidemiologic questions concerning this skin infection, we surveyed members of four southeastern college wrestling teams, sampled high school and college athletic trainers nationwide, and obtained serum specimens from members of one college wrestling team for HSV antibody studies. Nine of 48 (18.8%) college wrestlers in the southeastern athletic conference reported histories of herpes gladiatorum. Wrestlers with a prior history of oral HSV infection (cold sores) were less likely to report HSV skin infection than wrestlers without cold sores (RR = 0.25; 95% C.I. 0.03 to 1.8), while wrestlers with exposure to opponents with cutaneous HSV lesions were at high risk to develop herpes gladiatorum (RR = 9.4; 95% C.I. 2.2 to 40.0). The national survey of athletic trainers indicated that 7.6% of college wrestlers and 2.6% of high school wrestlers had HSV skin infection during the 1984-85 season. Herpes gladiatorum is a common problem among college wrestlers, and morbidity associated with this skin disease can be significant.1e:T421,Infection of the skin with herpes simplex assumes a variety of forms which are classified as either primary or recurrent.¹Primary infection is the initial infection, whereas recurrent disease represents activation of a herpetic focus which has lain dormant for weeks, months, or sometimes years. Cutaneous involvement in primary herpes simplex may accompany gingivostomatitis, keratoconjunctivitis, vulvovaginitis, balanitis, or urethritis.¹In visceral herpes of the newborn, hepatitis of the malnourished, or herpetic meningoencephalitis, skin lesions are too inconspicuous and occur too infrequently to be of much diagnostic value.^1-4Localized primary infections in which the skin is the portal of entry are probably most common on the hand, especially about the fingers, although they may occur anywhere. The so-called herpetic whitlow is a special hazard for dentists, nurses, and physicians who work about the mouths of persons who harbor the virus.^5,6Primary Kaposi's varicelliform eruption is a generalized1f:T416,Herpes simplex among wrestlers is a novel expression of herpetic infection, which, to our knowledge, had not been reported in the English literature prior to 1964.^1,2This report analyzes the epidemiological data of an outbreak at Dartmouth College during the 1964-1965 wrestling season. The incidence in the Northeast was determined from questionnaires completed by physicians at colleges competing in this area.

Materials and Methods

Local Epidemic.—

The Dartmouth College team consisted of 19 healthy white men engaged in active competition in intercollegiate wrestling. They represented all weight classes; their ages ranged from 18 to 22 years. Specific historical information was recorded as to the presence of the atopic diathesis (personal or immediate-family history of hay fever, asthma, eczema, or migraine) and previously documented herpes infection. All wrestling contacts during the preceding three weeks were recorded. The examination of the skin included a detailed recording of any abrasions or other

	Year	Citations

References