Extreme form of herpes hitting sumo wrestlers
AFP reports that a severe strain of herpes simplex virus type 1 of herpes is hitting sumo wrestlers in Japan:
Known as Herpes gladiatorum, or scrumpox, it causes painful, virus-filled blisters to form on the face and the neck that can damage the skin. Fever, headaches and an infection of the lymph nodes can also result.
As H. gladiatorum is highly infectious, players who have the blisters are usually taken out of competition to prevent them from passing it on.
In a study published in a British journal, Japanese scientists looked at blood samples from 39 sumo wrestlers in Tokyo who had been diagnosed with H. gladiatorum between 1989 and 1994.
Tests revealed that some of the wrestlers had been infected only once, while in others, the disease had recurred several times.
