Wrestling Skin Infections: Staph, Ringworm and Herpes Gladiatorum

Why wrestlers get skin infections

Wrestling puts more skin against more skin than almost any other sport. Add mats, shared gear, sweat and the small scrapes that come with every practice, and germs have an easy path from one athlete to the next.

The CDC points to these same factors for athletes in general: repeated skin-to-skin contact, cuts and scrapes that give germs a way in, shared items and surfaces, and not always being able to shower right after practice.¹

One infected wrestler can pass an infection to many others. In a 2014 Arizona outbreak, 47 cases were traced back to a single high school tournament where two wrestlers competed with uncovered skin sores.²

Staph and MRSA

Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, is a common bacterium that many healthy people carry. It causes trouble when it gets into a scrape, a mat burn or a hair follicle. MRSA is a type of staph that can resist several antibiotics.⁶

A staph or MRSA skin infection usually shows up as a bump or sore spot that is red, swollen, painful, warm to the touch, or full of pus. Some people also get a fever.⁶ The CDC lists athletes among the groups with higher risk of MRSA.⁶

Impetigo, a surface skin infection that leaves crusty sores, was the most common diagnosis in the Arizona outbreak, at 46% of confirmed cases.² For a closer look at spotting staph, see what a staph infection looks like.

Ringworm: a fungus, not a worm

Despite the name, ringworm is caused by a fungus.³ On the body it usually shows up as an itchy, ring-shaped rash. It can look red on lighter skin and gray or brown on darker skin.³

The CDC names contact sports like wrestling as a risk factor. Ringworm spreads through skin-to-skin contact, through shared towels and bedsheets, and from surfaces like locker room floors.³ It can also pass from animals to people, so a rash picked up from a pet at home can end up on the mat.³

Herpes gladiatorum

Herpes gladiatorum, sometimes called “mat herpes,” is a skin infection caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1).⁴ It spreads by touching an infected person’s sores, or through shared equipment, towels and personal items.⁴

It usually appears as a cluster of clear, fluid-filled blisters, most often on the head, neck and trunk, within about eight days of contact. Some people also get a fever, swollen glands, a sore throat or a tingling feeling.⁴

Two things set it apart. First, once you have the virus, you have it for life, and it can flare up again.⁴ Second, it can move through a team quickly. At a 1989 Minnesota wrestling camp, 60 of 175 wrestlers were infected, and most of the sores were on the head and neck.⁵

Habits that keep the team on the mat

Most prevention is simple and daily. The CDC and state health departments recommend:

• Shower with soap as soon as practice ends, and don’t share bar soap or towels.¹
• Wash and completely dry your uniform, towels and clothes after each use, in a dryer rather than on a line.¹ Our guide to washing a gi and rash guard walks through it.
• Cover cuts and scrapes with a clean, dry bandage until they heal.¹
• Don’t share razors, clothing or ointments from open containers.¹
• Wear shower shoes in locker rooms and public showers.³
• Clean mats with an approved disinfectant before practice and between matches.²
• Check your own skin every day, and tell your coach or athletic trainer about anything new before you wrestle.

Skin checks and sitting out matter. After the Arizona outbreak, health officials advised keeping wrestlers with visible, uncovered sores out of competition, and the state association brought in clinicians to check every wrestler’s skin before matches.²

When to see a doctor

See a doctor, or your team’s medical staff, before you go back on the mat if you notice any of these:

• A bump or sore that is red, swollen, warm, painful or full of pus⁶
• Redness that is spreading, or red streaks moving away from a sore
• Fever or chills along with any skin problem⁶
• A cluster of blisters, especially on the face, head or neck
• Any sore or blister near the eye: get care the same day⁴
• An itchy, ring-shaped rash that isn’t going away
• A sore that keeps coming back

If someone has a fever with fast-spreading redness, seems confused, or is very ill, get urgent care or call 911.

Don’t squeeze or pop sores, and don’t just tape over one to get through a match. Staph, ringworm and herpes each need a different plan, and a doctor can tell you what you have and when it’s safe to return. Coaches can find more in MRSA in team sports.