(Spirit Lake)– An outbreak of skin herpes, or Herpes Gladiatorum, has resulted in a temporary suspension of high school wrestling in Minnesota and has forced the cancellation of some meets in northwest Iowa.
Mary Dunleavy of Dickinson County Public Health says atleast one local wrestler has been diagnosed with the skin disorder.
She’s urging wrestlers to be on the lookout for clusters of lesions resembling cold sores. Dunleavy says anyone showing those symptoms should see their physician as soon as possible. Dunleavy says the condition is treatable. She says it’s spread through direct physical contact and cannot be contracted just by sitting next to someone who has it.
Dunleavy says the disease can be prevented through good hygiene, and by not sharing bars of soap and towels. She also says it’s important to thoroughly wash and disinfect equipment and uniforms frequently. She says schools are already doing good job of disinfecting mats on a regular basis.
It’s believed the outbreak started at a tournment in Rochester, Minnesota where an infected wrestler wrestled.
