3 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁wrest lers , ▁the ▁extrem ities ▁in ▁ 4 2 ▁percent , ▁and ▁the ▁tr unk ▁in ▁ 2 8 ▁percent . ▁Phys ical ▁sympt oms ▁sometimes ▁rec ur ▁in ▁the ▁skin . ▁Pre vious ▁ad oles cent ▁H SV - 1 ▁ser o con version ▁would ▁pre clude ▁most ▁her pes ▁gl adi ator um , ▁but ▁being ▁that ▁stress ▁and ▁tra uma ▁are ▁recognized ▁triggers , ▁such ▁a ▁person ▁would ▁be ▁likely ▁to ▁inf ect ▁others . ▁ ▁Sign s ▁and ▁sympt oms ▁Her pes ▁gl adi ator um ▁is ▁character ized ▁by ▁a ▁r ash ▁with ▁clusters ▁of ▁sometimes ▁pain ful ▁fluid - filled ▁bl ister s , ▁often ▁on ▁the ▁neck , ▁ch est , ▁face , ▁st om ach , ▁and ▁legs . ▁The ▁in fection ▁is ▁often ▁accompanied ▁by ▁l ym ph aden op ath y ▁( en larg ement ▁of ▁the ▁l ym ph ▁nodes ), ▁fe ver , ▁s ore ▁thro at , ▁and ▁head ache . ▁O ften , ▁the ▁accomp any ing ▁sympt oms ▁are ▁much ▁more ▁of ▁an ▁incon ven ience ▁than ▁the ▁actual ▁skin ▁bl ister s ▁and ▁r ash . ▁ ▁Each ▁bl ister ▁contains ▁inf ect ious ▁virus ▁particles ▁( vir ions ). ▁Close ▁contact , ▁particularly ▁ab ras ive ▁contact ▁as ▁found ▁in ▁contact ▁sports , ▁causes ▁the ▁inf ected ▁bl ister s ▁to ▁burst ▁and ▁pass ▁the ▁in fection ▁along . ▁Auto in oc ulation ▁( self - in fection ) ▁can ▁occur