An outbreak of tinea corporis gladiatorum on a high school wrestling team.

Abstract

An outbreak of tinea corporis occurred in members of a high school wrestling team during the 1992-1993 season. To control the outbreak, we conducted an epidemiologic investigation. We examined 28 team members and obtained skin scrapings from 16. To control the outbreak we recommended (1) griseofulvin for 1 month to treat persons with more than two lesions or any facial lesion(s) and topical ketoconazole or econazole for 1 month to treat all others and (2) that wrestlers be excluded from wrestling until 10 days of topical treatment or 15 days of oral treatment had been completed. Twenty-one wrestlers had lesions consistent with tinea corporis and 10 had Trichophyton tonsurans infection confirmed by culture. A new eruption developed in 12 wrestlers after the recommendations were implemented. This is the third and largest outbreak of tinea corporis gladiatorum to be described in the United States. Appropriate control measures have not yet been established.