May 30, 2023: Ringworm cases have been reported in the US after being undetectable for years. Continue reading to learn about it in detail!
Ringworm is a common skin infection that is caused by a fungus. It’s called “ringworm” because it can cause a circular rash (shaped like a ring) that is usually red and itchy.
Ringworm is also called “tinea” or “dermatophytosis.” The different types of ringworm are usually named for the location of the infection on the body.
According to a case study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), two women in New York were the first Americans to be diagnosed with ringworm, a highly contagious and drug-resistant fungal infection.
The infection has never been found before in the United States, but federal health officials say that more cases are being investigated.
According to the CDC report, "Tinea is a common, highly contagious, superficial infection of the skin, hair, or nails caused by dermatophyte moulds." It also stated that cases of severe, antifungal-resistant tinea have emerged in South Asia over the past decade. It stated that it has reached "epidemic proportions" in the region.
Lesions (areas of your skin that are different from the skin around them and may be the result of an injury or damage to your skin) were found on the thighs, buttocks, necks, and belly of the two patients, who were 28 and 47 years old, respectively, according to the report.
The main patient fostered a far reaching pruritic eruptions (a skin disease characterised by the eruption of itching papules on the extremities, face, and trunk) in 2021 and had her most memorable dermatologic assessment when she was in her third trimester of pregnancy (from week 29 of pregnancy). She had no other hidden ailments, no known openings to an individual with a comparable rash, and no new global travel history, the report expressed.
The second patient, who was in Bangladesh in the summer of 2022 ,didn't have any major health issues but had a widespread eruption. She was treated with creams that combined steroids and topical antifungals, and other members of her family were also experiencing similar eruptions.
The usual treatment that dermatologists have recommended for the skin infection has not helped. The CDC has informed individuals to be careful regarding any situation that could prompt a skin illness.