Infectious Disease Outbreaks in Competitive Sports, 2005–2010

Abstract

Context Old, evolving, and new infectious agents continually threaten the participation of competitors in sports. Objective To provide an update of the medical literature on infectious disease outbreaks in sport for the last 5 years (May 2005–November 2010). Main Outcome Measure(s) A total of 21 outbreaks or clusters were identified. Results Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (n = 7, 33%; mainly community acquired) and tinea (trichophytosis: n = 6, 29%) were the most common pathogens responsible for outbreaks. Skin and soft tissue was the most common site of infection (n = 15, 71%). Conclusions The majority of outbreaks reported occurred in close-contact sports, mainly combat sports (ie, wrestling, judo) and American football. Twelve outbreaks (57%) involved high school or collegiate competitors. Common community outbreak pathogens, such as influenza virus and norovirus, have received little attention.

Epidemiology of Skin Infections in Men's Wrestling: Analysis of 2009–2010 Through 2013–2014 National Collegiate Athletic Association Surveillance Data

“…Types of skin infections in our study were also similar to those identified previously, 1,3,10 with herpes simplex I (41.1%) and impetigo (10.7%) identified as common pathogens. Tinea versicolor was the most frequent fungal infection identified, which contrasts with previous NCAArelated research 3 in which ringworm occurred most often among wrestlers.…”

“…Previous literature on collegiate wrestlers' skin infections has been limited to case studies 9,[16][17][18][19] or broader descriptive studies in which skin infections represented 1 combined injury category. 1,3,7,10,14 Therefore, these data provide the largest in-depth examination of recent skin infection data from multiple collegiate wrestling teams, which can help inform skin infectionprevention protocols. According to the National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement 23 on skin diseases, infection-control policies are recommended for all collegiate institutions, including cleaning and disinfecting of all facilities, encouraging hand hygiene, and ensuring the practice of athlete hygiene.…”

“…Outbreaks of ringworm have also been linked to the sport. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15] Nevertheless, the existing research has limitations. First, the literature on collegiate wrestling skin infections is often limited to case studies 9,[16][17][18][19] or 1 category for skin infections within broader descriptive epidemiologic studies of wrestling injuries.…”

“…First, the literature on collegiate wrestling skin infections is often limited to case studies 9,[16][17][18][19] or 1 category for skin infections within broader descriptive epidemiologic studies of wrestling injuries. 1,3,7,10,14 These studies limit our ability to analyze specific diagnoses and clustering of skin infections. Second, previous authors 1 also suggested that the overall skin infection rate in collegiate wrestlers was higher than that in high school wrestlers, yet recent descriptive epidemiologic studies of skin infections among collegiate wrestlers are lacking.…”

Vaccinations among athletes: evidence and recommendations

“…locker rooms, sport meetings) with a great number of persons and in particular for indoor sports (wrestling, gymnastics, etc. ), close contact between athletes is common, with increased risk of airborne infection [20]. During international competitions, athletes are hosted in villages where they share the same services and in these settings there is a high risk of outbreak onset (e.g.…”