Abstract des Autors

For athletes, viruses are important in two ways: firstly, as agents that may easily be spread among them, during competitive games in particular. In contact sports such as wrestling and rugby, skin infections such as herpes may be spread very readily ("herpes gladiatorum"), but other viruses may be transmitted by droplets during team talks or other forms of association. Secondly, viruses may be important to individual athletes who are training to a high level by interfering with training during the acute stage of an illness and, in some, by leaving long term sequelae. Here there is a wide belief that viruses are directly involved, but hard data to underpin this belief are scanty and must be augmented if the aim is prevention. Verf.-Referat