Resistant ringworm infection was diagnosed in two women in New York
Two women in New York are diagnosed with the first US cases of a highly contagious, drug-resistant yeast infection that has reached ‘epidemic proportions’ in South Asia
At least two women in New York have been diagnosed with a new, highly contagious fungal skin infection that has reached “epidemic proportions” in South Asia.
These are the first known cases of drug-resistant ringworm, also known as tinea, in the US, which can cause large, itchy red rashes anywhere on the body.
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the unnamed patients, ages 28 and 47, suffered lesions on their neck, abdomen, buttocks and thighs, with more cases under review.
Fungal infections are becoming more common in America, especially drug-resistant strains, due to changing climates, experts suggest.
The 28-year-old woman (pictured above), pregnant when dermatologists examined her, had symptoms since the summer of 2021
The 47-year-old woman (pictured) had a rash on her thighs and buttocks
A dermatologist first reported two women with the virus at the end of February.
The 28-year-old reported a rash in the summer of 2021 and sought medical attention in December of the same year while in her third trimester of pregnancy.
The dermatologists found large, ring-shaped, scaly rashes on her neck, abdomen, pubic area, and buttocks.
She was diagnosed with tinea and put on antifungal treatment in January 2022 after her baby was born, which didn’t work.
A four-week course of the antifungal drug itraconazole finally resolved the rash.
She hadn’t been abroad recently, leading CDC officials to say it could have been shipped locally.
The second woman developed extensive skin rashes while traveling in Bangladesh.
Topical creams did not help, and upon her return to the US, she went to the emergency department three times in the fall of 2022.
Last December, she was seen by dermatologists who noticed she had a widespread, scaly, ring-like rash on her thighs and buttocks.
Several local treatments and two four-week courses of medication improved the rash by 80 percent.
The 47-year-old lives with her husband and son, who are also experiencing similar symptoms, and the CDC said it is investigating their cases.
Scientists have tested the ringworm species, which came back as Trichophyton indotineae, currently rampaging through India and other parts of South Asia.
The fungus Trichophyton rubrum causes ringworm. The strain recently found in the US is resistant to drugs
This is probably due to overuse of medications, such as antifungals, to treat them.
There have been previous cases in Europe and Canada, but never before in America.
Health officials said they are “concerned” that the infection has not responded to normal treatments prescribed by dermatologists.
Ringworm is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and can cause a rash all over the body. The infection is most commonly found in children, but anyone can catch it.
It is not caused by a worm, but is a fungal infection.
Cases are usually treated with antifungal creams, but sometimes oral antifungal medication is also needed.