Two cases of a highly contagious fungal disease have been confirmed, with two women in the US infected.
Two unnamed patients, aged 28 and 47, have been struck down with the first known cases of the illness, according to the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention. The disease has been found to be a drug-resistant form of ringworm, also known as tinea.
Tinea is a highly contagious fungal skin infection that is spread by skin-to-skin contact or indirectly by things like sharing towels, clothes or from the floor. The two women infected were found to suffer lesions on their neck, buttocks, thighs and abdomen.
The diagnosis is of concern with experts warning such infections are becoming more common due to higher temperatures as a result of climate change as well as resistant medication.
The infected 28-year-old first reported rashes appearing on her body during the summer of 2021, seeking medical attention in December of the same year as the rashes across her body became large and scaly.
She was prescribed antifungal treatment in January 2022, however, according to medics, the treatment made no difference. The patient was then prescribed a four-week course of antifungal itraconazole which eventually cleared the rash.
The second patient required medical attention on three separate occasions in late 2022 after the rash began to spread. After a four week course of medication, the rash improved but only by 80 per cent.
The ringworm strain has since been tested by officials and was found to be Trichophyton indotineae - an infection currently tearing through India and other parts of South Asia.
Health officials have admitted they are "concerned" with the infection failing to respond to normal treatments as it should.
Experts believe that due to an overuse of medication, patients are becoming more susceptible to fungal infections which in turn makes the fungi more resilient.
But what are the symptoms of the infection and how can you catch it?
What are the symptoms of ringworm/tinea?
According to the NHS, the main symptom of ringworm is a rash.
The rash may appear red, silver or a darker colour than the surrounding skin - this is dependent on your skin tone.
The rash may also be scaly, dry, swollen or itchy and can appear anywhere on the body.
How is ringworm spread?
Ringworm is caused by a type of fungi and is can be passed on through contact with:
- an infected person or animal
- infected objects – such as bedsheets, combs or towels
- infected soil – although this is less common
Starting treatment as soon as possible can help prevent the spread. Making sure to wash towels and bed sheets regularly as well as keeping your skin - or your children's skin - clean, washing hands after touching animals or soil is important, suggests the NHS.
If you or your little one has been in contact with an infected person or animal you should check skin regularly.
Take your pet to the vet if you think they might be infected - for example if they have a rash or are missing patches of fur.
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