Sumo Wrestlers And Rugby Players Deal With Facial Herpes

We though the worst thing you could a acquire from a rigorous sporting life was ringworm. That shit is terrifying to look at. But Sumo wrestlers and rugby players across the world want you to know via their pockmarked-herpes-infested-visages that there is a new, more disgusting consequence to rubbing your face into someone’s sweaty groin area.

“Scrumpox”, or herpes gladiatorum, is a skin infection caused by the herpes virus, which can cause coldsores. It is spread through direct skin-to-skin contact so it is common among rugby players and wrestlers. Symptoms can start with a sore throat and swollen glands and the telltale blisters appear on the face, neck, arms or legs. The disease is highly infectious, so players who are infected are often taken out of competition to stop the virus from spreading.

“Scientists in Japan believe that a strain of herpes virus called BgKL has replaced the strain BgOL as one of the most common and pathogenic, causing a skin disease in sumo wrestlers,” said Dr Kazuo Yanagi from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo, Japan. “We wanted to see if this is the case, so we studied the spread of the disease in sumo wrestlers in Tokyo.”

Could this possibly explain the recent use of marijuana amongst Sumo wrestlers? Maybe, but it also leads us to believe that all rugby players should use hemlets or some form of skull-padding when they play. Obviously getting hit in the head over and over is skewing their priorities. Who wants “Scrumpox” all over their faces?!
Deadly Rugby Virus Spreads In Sumo Wrestlers [Science Daily]
Image [Science Daily]