Minnesota State High School League is suspending wrestling for eight days due to an outbreak of Herpes Gladiatorum.
The league is ordering no competition or direct contact from Tuesday the 30th through February 6. Coaches are allowed to continue running and conditioning, but no direct contact is allowed.
The skin infection is caused by Herpes Simplex type-1 virus. There have been 24 confirmed cases of the disease involving wrestlers on 10 teams in weight classes of 285, 215, and 189. The first outbreak was noted on December 29 – 30 following a national tourney held in Rochester.
Herpes Gladiatorum is quite common among wrestlers and is the reason for pre-match skin inspections. Wrestlers who have the disease usually have small blisters similar to those of chickenpox. They are usually found on the athlete’s head and neck. When the blisters come in contact with another wrestler’s skin, the disease is easily spread.
Unfortunately, the virus can be transmitted up to 2 – 3 days before blisters form.
The league is asking coaches to check for lesions daily during the suspension.
Scot Davis, who coaches wrestling at Owatonna High School, has been involved in wrestling in Minnesota for more than 40 years and says he can’t remember the league completely shutting down.
Davis’ team, which gets doctor checkups several times a week, competed at the Rochester tournament where the outbreak was first detected, yet none of his wrestlers have been infected.
He applauds the suspension.
“I think it’s a bold step, “he said. “How else are you going to get this thing cleared up? How do I explain to a mom that her kid has herpes forever?”
Steve Larsen, wrestling coach at Century High School in Rochester, said his team will miss three competitions because of the eight-day suspension.
“It’s going to make scheduling interesting, “he said. “I hope some of it will get rescheduled.”
The Century team has had no skin problems this year, Larsen said. But in the past, when a few of his wrestlers came down with ringworm, his team was suspended from practice and competition as a precaution.
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