Prevalence of Common Viral Skin Infections in Beach Volleyball Athletes.

Niki Tertipi,Vasiliki Kefala,Effie Papageorgiou,Efstathios Rallis

doi:10.3390/v13112107

Abstract

Viral skin infections often affect the sports community. The aim of this study was to assess the rates, location sites, and seasons of appearance of common viral cutaneous diseases in beach volleyball athletes in Greece. Five hundred and forty-nine beach volleyball athletes participated in this study. The average age was 28.4 years. The viral infections were herpes simplex (type 1), molluscum contagiosum and warts. The measured parameters included: gender, age, the season when athletes may be more susceptible to infections and the location of infection in the body. Practicing information such as the number of training years, number of weekly trainings, and average hours of daily training was also recorded. Incidence rates correlated in relation to age: (a) warts (p < 0.001), molluscum contagiosum (p < 0.001), and herpes simplex (p = 0.001); (b) years of training: warts (p < 0.001), molluscum contagiosum (p < 0.001), and herpes simplex (p = 0.004); (c) average hours of daily training: molluscum contagiosum (p = 0.006) and herpes simplex (p < 0.010). The skin is the largest organ, and the risk of infection should not be underestimated. Prevention, early detection, recognition, and treatment are related to health and athletic performance, but also to the risk of transmission.

Highlights

The study population consisted of 549 beach volleyball athletes
More than four out of ten (41.9%) athletes had less than 3 years of training in beach volleyball, 24.2% from 4 to 6 years, 12.7% from 10 to 12 years, 11% from 7 to 9 years and 10.2% had more than 12 years of experience
We studied three viral skin infections, herpes simplex, molluscum contagiosum and warts, the latter of which was the most frequent viral skin infection that occurred

Summary

Introduction

Injuries that are associated with sports-related infectious diseases cause significant morbidity in athletes [1,2]. The three main viral cutaneous infections that affect athletes are warts, molluscum contagiosum and herpes simplex [3]. Viral skin infections can be detrimental in terms of lost playing-time and potentially affect the successful careers of athletes [4]. As with any sport activity, beach volleyball carries a serious risk of skin infection. Injuries of the skin from cuts, abrasions or lacerations, exposure to infectious and environmental factors, physical contact between athletes, persistent sweating of athletes and sharing of equipment and facilities increase the likelihood of infection. Injuries related to physical activity can alter the barrier of the skin and mucosa and allow the invasion of the infectious agent [6]. The sand contains pathogenic microbes that affect human health and can lead to serious infections [7]

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Conclusion