Health officials have issued warnings about a viral skin condition linked to contact sports such as rugby and sumo wrestling after two men died from their infections. The virus, herpes gladiatorum, is a form of the herpes virus that is passed through broken skin. The effect is much like having cold sores, doctors say, though the sores can appear anywhere on the body. Two sumo wrestlers in Japan recently died of their infection, but experts say that to most people, the infection is a nuisance but is generally not life-threatening.
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