Parents demand officials take measures after son gets Herpes during a wrestling match

A standout student athlete's bright hopes for the future have been dashed due to what he and his family believe are lax health and safety protocols. After participating in the Central Coast Section high school wrestling tournament at Independence High School in San Jose, Calif., on Feb. 19, 17-year-old Blake Flovin contracted herpes gladiatorum, or "mat herpes." Now, he and his family want this weekend's state wrestling championships to be postponed.
Blake recounts his experience to KTVU, stating that the condition first manifested as swollen lymph nodes near his left ear and escalated to a red rash that nearly took over the side of his face. He tells reporters he suspects the "mat herpes" was transmitted either through contact with another wrestler or with a contaminated mat. After doing more research, Blake and his family learned that the condition is far more common than previously thought.

Each wrestler undergoes a skin inspection prior to each match, but Blake informs the San Jose Mercury News that some athletes resort to using makeup or Band-Aids to cover any lesions so that they can compete. Rick Flovin, Blake's father and assistant wrestling coach at Archbishop Mitty High in San Jose (where Blake is a senior), tells reporters, "It's widespread to hide the disease because of scholarships."

"It's sad," Rena Flovin, Blake's mother, tells KTVU. "It makes me angry that this was preventable." Blake adds, "The most important thing here is kids' health and that's my main message. Try and put that above everything else."

KTVU reports that the family is taking legal action to try to have the tournament postponed, but barring that, they simply wish to spread the word about the disease and the potential risks of transmission.