High school wrestler diagnosed with highly contagious 'mat herpes'

Alexis Jackson
Updated ·2 min read
High School Wrestler Says Mats Gave Him Herpes; Other Athletes Exposed
High School Wrestler Says Mats Gave Him Herpes; Other Athletes Exposed

A San Francisco high school athlete says his wrestling career is over after he contracted a highly contagious form of herpes during a match, NBC Bay Area reports.

The teen is now pleading with state officials to postpone this weekend's championship meet as other athletes may have been exposed to the disease.

SEE ALSO: Teen accused of impersonating a medical doctor arrested again

Blake Flovin, 17, believes he contracted herpes gladiatorum, or "mat herpes," during a recent meet. Herpes gladiatorum, one of the most infectious forms of the disease, is spread through skin contact and saliva. Although the disease can be treated, once a person is infected it says in their system for life.

Flovin and his parents wrote to the California Interscholastic Federation asking for the state championships to be postponed until the herpes outbreak is investigated.

"I don't want other kids to get this," Flovin told NBC Bay Area. "It's not worth it to put the wrestlers at risk when this is totally preventable."

Flovin fears that many student athletes wrestle with the disease but attempt to hide their diagnoses.

"I've definitely seen kids with makeup on different sores or whatnot, trying to hide it from the refs when they do the skin check," Flovin said.

Flovin and his family hope that other students and parents will know the risks and that schools will establish better protocols to end the spread of the disease.

RELATED: The deadliest contagious infectious diseases:

More from AOL.com:
Disabled Uber driver takes passengers on inspirational ride
Man breaks into store, takes cigarettes and leaves $6
Student told to cut hair if he wanted to stay at school

Latest Stories

  • The Dead of Winter by Sarah Clegg review – the dark side of Christmas

    From the devilish Krampus legend to a spot of disembowelment, the author takes us on a scary romp through Europe’s most disturbing festive folklore

  • Trump Can’t ‘Delete’ This Consumer Watchdog. He Could Kneecap It, Though.

    A federal agency charged with protecting consumers from abuses by banks, lenders, and other financial institutions faces an existential threat once Donald Trump starts his second term. Both Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are heading up the incoming administration’s efficiency drive, have said they want to get rid of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau altogether. “Delete CFPB,” Musk posted on X a few weeks ago.

  • Zoe Ball hosting her final Radio 2 breakfast show

    Ball says it's time "to step away from the very early mornings and focus on family" after six years.

  • Stephen Colbert Makes 'Sense' Of Elon Musk's Gov't Influence In 1 'Expert' Dig

    The "Late Show" host showcased his impression of the billionaire Donald Trump ally with a lone aerial move.

  • Government shutdown looms as Trump-backed bill fails to pass House

    Dozens of Republicans defied Trump and joined Democrats to reject a revised spending bill. Here are five things to know ahead of Friday’s shutdown deadline.

  • UK government borrows less than expected in November

    Borrowing - the difference between spending and tax take - was £11.2bn last month

  • Kadokawa shares sink as Sony settles for buying stake, not whole firm

    TOKYO (Reuters) -Shares of Japan's Kadokawa fell by their daily limit on Friday after the media powerhouse behind the "Elden Ring" game announced a capital tie-up with Sony Group instead of a widely anticipated acquisition. The two companies said on Thursday that Sony would invest about 50 billion yen ($317 million) in Kadokawa, which will issue new shares to the technology giant to make it the top shareholder with a stake of about 10%. On Friday in Tokyo, Kadokawa's shares ended the day untraded with a glut of sell orders at the day's limit low of 3,689 yen, a fall of 15.95%.

  • Motor agencies warn of 'pre-Christmas panic' and record traffic as millions set to make holiday journeys

    Millions of drivers will start their holiday journeys from today, with motor agencies warning of a "pre-Christmas panic" on the roads and record levels of traffic. Data from the RAC and travel analytics company INRIX estimates 29.3 million journeys will be made by motorists in the run-up to Christmas Day. After some 5.7 million journeys on Wednesday and Thursday, the RAC said today will be "frantic Friday" on the roads with an expected 3 million trips.

  • FTSE 100 Live 20 December: Retail sales rise and borrowing undershoots, index seen lower

    Retail sales volumes for November today showed a recovery from October’s pre-Budget reverse of 0.7%. Meanwhile, public sector borrowing for the month of £11.25 billion beat City forecasts. The poor run for the FTSE 100 index is set to continue after yesterday’s slide of 1.1%.

  • Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin says he wishes he had invaded earlier as blasts heard in Kyiv

    Putin says he is open to talks with Donald Trump, saying ‘we will have things to discuss’

  • Taiwan paratroopers use virtual reality simulators in training exercises

    Taiwanese paratroopers in the southern city of Pingtung participated in army training exercises over the past few days, including using virtual reality simulators to practice landing in specific locations. (AP Video by Taijing Wu)

  • Zoe Ball begins final Radio 2 breakfast show with Daft Punk’s One More Time

    Ball shared a message from a man who said he was driving home for Christmas early so he could listen to her last show.

  • Stats reveal Real Madrid forwards are back to their best after rocky start

    Real Madrid’s start to the new season was far from ideal. The team struggled to find its rhythm, and while injuries played their part, the overall performances lacked the sharpness fans had come to ...

  • Government borrowing falls to lowest November level in three years

    Rising tax receipts and lower public sector interest payments offset higher spending on public services, the Office for National Statistics said.

  • Puzzle solutions for Friday, Dec. 20, 2024

    Find answers to the latest online sudoku and crossword puzzles that were published in USA TODAY Network's local newspapers.

  • Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly lower ahead of key US inflation data

    HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares were mostly lower Friday as markets awaited U.S. personal spending data for November that are due later in the day.

  • Villa Park return is painful reminder that Jack Grealish is wasting his talent at Man City

    Pep Guardiola has turned ‘one of the most exciting attacking players in world football’ into someone who is neither exciting nor attacking and Grealish is now struggling to contribute at all

  • Institutional investors may overlook ITV plc's (LON:ITV) recent UK£100m market cap drop as long-term gains remain positive

    Key Insights Institutions' substantial holdings in ITV implies that they have significant influence over the company's...

  • Wisconsin shooter linked to California man planning separate attack

    STORY: :: Sabrina Ringquist /TMX:: December 16, 2024The teenage girl behind a deadly shooting at a Wisconsin school this week, had apparently been in contact with a California man who was planning his own mass shooting.That's according to a California "gun violence emergency protective order" issued Wednesday.News of the connection came as police continued searching for answers on what motivated 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow to stage the attack.Rupnow had killed a fellow student and a teacher, wounded six others before turning the gun on herself.The court record said the FBI saw messages Rupnow received from 20-year-old Alexander Charles Paffendorf in California.When agents confronted Paffendorf, he admitted he told Rupnow he would arm himself with explosives and a gun and target a government building.The order did not say which building he allegedly targeted or when the alleged attack would happen.It did ask Paffendorf to turn in guns and ammunition to police within 48 hours, though it's unclear if he was in custody by Thursday.:: December 17, 2024The community on Tuesday night grieved the shooting at Madison's Abundant Life Christian School.Dane County Medical office identified the two people killed at the school as 14-year-old ninth-grade student Rubi Vergara and 42-year-old faculty member Erin West.Two of the students shot were in critical condition on Wednesday, but police say they would not continue to update their conditions to the media.The shooting was unusual as it was carried out by a female, when an overwhelming majority of school shooters in the United States have been male.It's also raised questions how a 15-year-old girl got ahold of the two guns she had with her at the time of the shooting, as Wisconsin law prohibits anyone under 18 from possessing a firearm.

  • James Marsden clucked like a chicken during failed Saturday Night Live audition

    The Hairspray actor revealed during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark that he and his friend made "a bad choice" when they tried out for the sketch show as part of a talent search. "They did a nationwide talent search and a friend of mine in my drama class, or whatever, who I used to do these humorous sketches with, said, 'Let's go down and audition for it,'" he explained. "I think they made us do... It wasn't even something like, 'Create an interesting character,' or whatever. It was just, 'Do whatever silly thing you want to do.'"