Originally published in Infectious Disease Monitor
The American Association of Pediatrics recently issued guidelines published in Pediatrics that outline the risk factors for infectious disease transmission in student athletes, which include skin-to-skin contact, sharing equipment, environmental exposures, and physical trauma.
The recommendations were based on a review of the risk of acquiring infections during various organized sports. The guidelines cover the most prevalent pathogens as well as the most common routes of transmission, prevention, and management strategies.
In athletes, the most common mode of transmission is contact. Contact-related infections include Staphylococcus aureus (both methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible), Group A Streptococcus, herpes simplex virus (primarily type 1), molluscum contagiosum, verruca vulgaris, scabies and lice, and Tinea infections.
