Infections in sport

BMJ 1994;309:957 (8 October)

Letters

Infections in sport

EDITOR, - J C M Sharp states that the risk of acquiring hepatitisB during sporting activities is small,¹ but infection acquiredfrom a prick by a contaminated thorn during orienteering eventsand among barefoot runners has been reported. In a paper onhepatitis B among Swedish track finders Ringertz and Zetterbergconsidered the possible modes of transmission to be limited:inoculation by a twig that wounded a preceding competitor; water,towels, soap, or brushes used by several people; or person toperson contact in steam baths.² They believed that transmissionoccurred mainly in connection with washing after the competitions.

R E Meigh

Castle Hill Hospital, Hull HU16 5JQ.

Sharp JCM. Infections in sport. BMJ 1994;308:1702-6. (25 June.) [Free Full Text]
Ringertz O, Zetterberg B. Serum hepatitis among Swedish track finders. N Engl J Med 1967;276:540-6.