The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first two cases of contagious, drug-resistant ringworm infections in the United States, according to an article published in NBC News. Experts explained that the ringworm infections, both discovered in New York City, were caused by a newly evolved species of ringworm fungus called Trichophyton indotineae—which has recently become more common in South Asia and identified in parts of Europe and Canada. While one of the patients had developed the infection during a trip to Bangladesh, the other patient had not left the United States.
Concerningly, T indotineae has proven highly resistant to antifungal creams; experts warned that populations that overuse antifungals and corticosteroids may have a higher risk of acquiring drug-resistant infections. The experts also stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic has served as a lesson to public health officials that infections developing in other parts of the world will likely appear in the United States after some time. The experts noted that ringworm infections can be spread via physical contact and often appear in ring-shaped patches of raised scales across the face, chest, scalp, and groin. Although T indotineae has been resistant to antifungal creams, physicians have had success at treating it with oral antifungals such as terbinafine and itraconazole. However, they cautioned that the oral medications may cause severe adverse effects—including heart failure. Those who believe they may have developed ringworm infections should contact their dermatologist immediately and wash all linens regularly to limit the spread of the disease.