Synopsis for September 28, 2006

The MMWR is embargoed until Thursday, 12 PM EST.

1. Sports-Related Injuries among High School Athletes – United States 2005-06
2. Chikungunya Fever Diagnosed among International Travelers – United States, 2005-2006
3. CDC’s 60th Anniversary: Director’s Perspective

Sports-Related Injuries among High School Athletes – United States 2005-06

This pilot study demonstrates that a surveillance system can identify high school sports participation and monitor injury patterns. This can help injury prevention specialists and sports rules and medical committees develop, implement, and evaluate injury prevention programs for high school sports. 1) During the 2005-06 school year the 4.2 million US adolescents participating in the nine high school sports studied (boys’ football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, and baseball and girls’ soccer, volleyball, basketball, and softball) sustained an estimated 1.4 million injuries which prevented participation for a day or more. 2)The overall injury rate was 2.4 injuries per 1,000 athlete-exposures (athlete-exposure is defined as one athlete participating in one practice or game) with patterns of injury varying by exposure; the injury rate in every sport was higher in competition than practice. Football had an injury rate almost two times higher than any other sport. 3) In each sport, over 80% of the reported injuries were new injuries as opposed to recurrences or complications from prior injuries. Injury Prevention is important because history of an injury (e.g., sprain or concussion) often puts an athlete at increased risk of a future injury. High school sports play an important role in establishing a physically active lifestyle but also places student athletes at risk for injuries. Using an internet-based surveillance system to collect data on nine sports in 100 US high schools, researchers were able to estimate that 1.4 million injuries occurred during the 2005-2006 school year in the nine sports. Football had an injury rate almost two times higher than any other sport. Researchers suggest that parents, coaches and athletes follow the National Athletic Trainers Association recommendations including adequate hydration and the use of appropriate protective equipment in practice and competition.

Chikungunya Fever Diagnosed among International Travelers – United States, 2005-2006

Physicians and public health officials should maintain a heightened awareness for imported cases of chikungunya fever in travelers entering the United States from Asia and Africa, and especially from India and islands in the Indian Ocean. Travelers to these areas should take precautions to prevent mosquito exposure (e.g., avoidance, clothing, and repellents). Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne virus that occurs in tropical areas of Africa and Asia. Currently, large epidemics of chikungunya fever are occurring in India and on certain islands in the Indian Ocean. Chikungunya fever typically includes joint pains which can be severe. The disease is almost always self-limited and nonfatal, but in some cases, joint pains can persist for several weeks or months. During the first few days of illness, the virus can be passed from the human blood stream to feeding mosquitoes. Therefore, there is a slight risk that chikungunya virus could be introduced into local mosquito populations in the United States or elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere. Physicians and public health officials should have heightened awareness for cases resembling chikungunya fever, both singly and in clusters. Travelers to tropical areas should take precautions to prevent mosquito bites (e.g., avoidance, clothing, and repellents).

CDC’s 60th Anniversary: Director’s Perspective

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This page last reviewed November 9, 2006

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