"Trichophyton Indotineae: The Resistant Fungal Infection Causing Severe Ringworm - Symptoms and Treatments"

2023-05-31 11:14:34

Cases of ringworm, resulting from a fungus very resistant to the usual treatments, have been detected in the United States and are worrying the health authorities. Should we fear it in France? What symptoms?

Two cases of severe ringworm have been reported in the United States for the first time linked to Trichophyton indotineae infection, a strain of microscopic fungus that is resistant to common ringworm treatmentsindicate the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a press release dated May 12, 2023. The two patients are: a 28 year old woman who had a generalized itchy rash (itchy itching) during her pregnancy without any recent international travel history (suggesting potential local transmission in the United States) and an 47 year old woman who developed a generalized itchy rash in the summer of 2022 while she was in Bangladesh. Her son and husband, who live in the same house and are reporting similar rashes, are currently being evaluated. These types of Trichophyton indotineae infections had previously been reported in Asia, Europe and Canada, but had never been described in the United States. What do we know so far about this new fungus? What symptoms does it cause? How can we cure it? Should we be afraid of it in France?

What are the symptoms of a Trichophyton indotineae infection?

This fungus causes severe ringworma common superficial infection, very contagious, skin, hair or nails caused by dermatophyte molds. The infection is manifested by large, inflamed, itchy (itchy) and scaly patches on the body :

The neck
The face
L’abdomen
The pubic region
Thigh
The fold of the groin (crural fold)
Buttocks…

Is it contagious ?

Yes, according to the CDC, Trichophyton indotineae infections”are highly transmissible“. Transmission occurs through direct skin-to-skin contact, through hair, an animal or contaminated objects (combs, brushes).

Should we be afraid of it in France?

For now, no case of Trichophyton indotineae infection has been reported in France. However, U.S. health authorities are calling for public health surveillance and increased testing that could help detect and monitor the spread of T. indotineae, especially in patients with generalized ringworm, especially when Rashes do not improve with first-line topical antifungal agents or oral terbinafine. Namely that cases Trichophyton indotineae infections have been reported in Germany.

Is there an effective treatment for this fungus?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that this strain has been shown to be resistant to the usual treatment for ringworm, namely oral treatment with terbinafine (an antifungal used to treat certain fungal infections of the skin and nails) taken for several weeks. Indeed, the symptoms of the two affected women did not improve after taking this treatment. In the 28-year-old patient, treatment with itraconazole (antifungal used to treat certain serious or resistant fungal infections) taken for 4 weeks was effective and completely cleared the rash. The 47-year-old patient received, after several drug failures, treatment with griseofulvinresulting in about an 80% improvement in his symptoms.