Rare Sexually Transmitted Fungal Infection Identified In New York City: Report

A new and highly infectious strain of fungus has health officials on high alert after a New Yorker in his thirties was found to have contracted sexually transmitted ringworm, the first ever reported case in the country, according to The New York Post.

"Healthcare providers should be aware that Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII [TMVII] is the latest in a group of severe skin infections to have now reached the United States," said Dr Avrom S Caplan, an assistant professor in NYU Grossman School of Medicine's dermatology department.

Dr Caplan, along with a co-author, recently published a case study about a man who contracted TMVII and got rashes on his genital area, buttocks, and limbs.

According to The New York Post, the incidence of TMVII has been increasing in Europe, particularly among men who have sex with men. The person in the study had travelled to England, Greece, and California, where he engaged in sexual activities with men, none of whom reported having similar skin conditions.

"Since patients are often reluctant to discuss genital problems, physicians need to directly ask about rashes around the groyne and buttocks, especially for those who are sexually active, have recently travelled abroad, and report itchy areas elsewhere on the body," study senior author Dr John G Zampella advised.

Zampella noted that infections caused by TMVII seem to respond to standard antifungal therapies such as the medication terbinafine (also known as Lamisil), but they can take months to clear up. They may also be confused with lesions caused by eczema, which may delay treatment. A different, itchy, and contagious skin infection that causes rashes similar to TMVII is proving to be a greater challenge for dermatologists.