Drug-Resistant Ringworm Detected In US, Says Report

Tinea is a common, highly contagious, superficial infection of the skin, hair, or nails caused by dermatophyte moulds.

A drug-resistant strain of ringworm has been detected in New York City, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tinea is a common, highly contagious, superficial infection of the skin, hair, or nails caused by dermatophyte moulds, according to CDC. It can cause an itchy, red rash on many areas of the body. A particular treatment-resistant strain has emerged from South Asia.

Two women experienced symptoms in 2021 and 2022. The women did not respond to the usual treatments, signalling the arrival of a drug-resistant strain of fungus that hasn't previously been recorded in the US, Today reported.

According to CDC, the first woman developed a widespread pruritic eruption during the summer of 2021. She had a first dermatologic evaluation in December 2021, at which time she was in her third trimester of pregnancy. She had no other underlying medical conditions, no known exposures to a person with a similar rash, and no recent international travel history. Dermatologists noted large, annular, scaly, pruritic plaques over the neck, abdomen, pubic region, and buttocks. She received a diagnosis of tinea and began oral terbinafine therapy in January 2022 after the birth of her baby. Because her eruptions did not improve after 2 weeks of therapy, terbinafine was discontinued, and she began itraconazole treatment. The rash resolved completely after completing a 4-week course of itraconazole; however, she is being monitored for potential recurrence of infection and the need for resumption of itraconazole.