Originally Published in austin360
We love when kids play sports. They are getting physical fitness, and they are learning important lessons about working with other people, perseverance and mental toughness.
But coming in contact with so many other people on the field can help spread infectious disease, says a report released Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The report found that about 10 to 15 percent of injuries that keep college athletes off the field are infectious diseases.
Some of the common concerns for high school football and wrestling is Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA), Group A Streptococcus; herpes simplex virus; tinea capitis (ringworm); tinea pedis (athlete’s foot); scabies and lice.
Coaches should also worry about varicella zoster virus (chicken pox), measles and mumps — all which can be prevented by vaccinations.
