Football practice was canceled Monday night at San Diego State University after five players contracted the chickenpox virus.
Members of the team were told to clear out their lockers at the Fowler Athletics Center on campus.
Clean up crews are scrubbing down the weight room and the football team locker room as a precautionary measure, an SDSU spokesperson said.
Three players reported symptoms of the chickenpox virus on Friday. That number rose to five by practice time Monday.
The virus can be deadly. Symptoms appear one to two days before the telltale rash. They include a fever, loss of appetite, headache, and fatigue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tara Robinson, the parent of a member of the football team, told NBC 7, her child was vaccinated as a child.
"These things are set in place to protect children from exposure," Robinson said.
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The 105 players on campus for fall camp share long hours on the field and in the locker rooms.
Athletics and Student Health Services officers are working together to monitor student-athletes and identify any possible additional cases. They're also going over vaccination records.
"I’m surprised that some of the players didn't know whether they had it or had been vaccinated," said SDSU alum Vance Mills.
"Most folks are protected at this stage or this juncture in their life," Robinson said.
Of the five players infected, Mike May with the SDSU Athletic Department told NBC 7, one is a senior. All are experienced players and important to the team, he said.
Mills said he is concerned for the team.
"It's going to take away from some of the practice. That's my fear," Mills said.
The season opener is on Sept. 2.
SDSU is working with County Public Health Services.
The university also says the cases are still contained to just the football team and not the general student population.
Classes begin on Aug. 28 for the 2017-2018 school year.
