Ringworm fungal infections are common in the US and are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment – 6 questions answered

Ringworm is often easy to spot with its characteristic red rings on the skin. Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

The World Health Organization considers antimicrobial resistance to be one of the most serious threats for global health. Similar to the way bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics, fungal infections throughout the world are becoming more drug-resistant and more deadly.

In early 2023, the New York State Department of Health reported two cases of severe tinea, a contagious type of ringworm infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later reported that they were caused by a species of fungus that has been spreading throughout South Asia over the past decade.