Infectious Disease Management in Athletic Populations
Summary
Athletic populations face unique vulnerabilities to infectious diseases due to frequent close contact, shared facilities and equipment, and immune modulation associated with intense training. Common bacterial threats include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and streptococcal skin infections, which can lead to outbreaks in contact sports. Viral challenges such as herpes simplex, human papillomavirus and respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2 require tailored surveillance, prompt diagnosis and outbreak containment. Fungal pathogens and aquatic exposures in swimmers add further complexity to prevention efforts. Effective management combines routine screening, vaccination where applicable, rigorous hygiene and decontamination protocols, and rapid isolation of affected individuals. Multidisciplinary collaboration between medical staff, coaches and public health officials underpins return-to-play decisions, while antimicrobial stewardship ensures responsible use of antibiotics in line with athletes’ physiological demands. Travel medicine and microbiome considerations inform strategies for global competitions. Practical applications span signage and education programmes, environmental disinfection and policy frameworks for outbreak control, collectively safeguarding athletes’ health and continuity of training and competition.
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Infectious Disease Management in Athletic Populations publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in infectious disease management in athletic populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Colonisation: Presence of a microorganism in or on a host without causing disease.
Antimicrobial resistance: Microbial ability to survive exposure to drugs normally lethal or inhibitory.
Antimicrobial stewardship: Coordinated strategies to optimise antibiotic use and limit resistance.
Skin and soft tissue infection: Infection affecting the skin, subcutaneous tissue or muscle layers, often bacterial.
Viral shedding: Release of virus particles from an infected host, enabling transmission.
Quarantine: Restriction of movement to prevent spread of infection from exposed individuals.
References
- SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Wrestlers after International Tournaments, April 2021 - Volume 29, Number 11—November 2023 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC. Emerging Infectious Diseases (2023).
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Sports: The Scope of the Problem, Implications for Athletes’ Health and Avenues for Collaborative Public Health Action. Antibiotics (2024).
- Prevalence of Plantar Warts, Genital Warts, and Herpetic Infections in Greek Competitive Swimmers. Viruses (2024).
- Recurring Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections in a Football Team - Volume 11, Number 4—April 2005 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC. Emerging Infectious Diseases (2005).
- Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infection in High School Football Players, New York City, 2003 - Volume 11, Number 1—January 2005 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC. Emerging Infectious Diseases (2005).
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