2023-05-30 13:34:00
Although ringworm is a benign condition, its contagion is a concern, especially if treatments now prove ineffective.
In a report published on May 12, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported first two known cases of ringworm resistant to usual treatments.
Ringworm is a skin infection caused by one of 40 species of microscopic fungi that eat the keratin of the stratum corneum. In this case, the infections were caused by Trichophyton indotineaea fungus recently discovered in South Asia, then in Europe.
Ringworm can take many forms, but often causes what looks like a superficial rash that forms a ring around normal-looking skin. This is a very uncomfortable rash “highly transmissible”which itches and is usually treated with an antifungal taken over several weeks.
“The world is not prepared”
The two resistant cases were reported in 2021 and 2022 on two women. Although ringworm is a benign condition, its contagion is a concern, especially if treatments now prove ineffective. This is why the American public health agency is issuing the alert and urges healthcare professionals to contact their state or local public health department if a rash does not respond to first-line treatments, so cases can be further tested.
Nearby MirrorDavid Denning, professor of infectious diseases in global health at the University of Manchester, believes that “the world is not prepared“ to this epidemic of skin infections due to higher temperatures. It is also learned the infection is easily transmitted in schools, homes and through intimate contact.
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