June has been hailed “Pride Month”, but is rapidly developing a reputation for the time of year when new sexually transmitted diseases are reported.
Back in 2022, it was monkey pox (an outbreak so concerning it earned an Emergency Declaration from the Biden administration).
This year, sexually transmitted ringworm may be the disease du jour.
The first case of this condition has been reported in the United States. This particular infection appears to have occurred through same-sex activity.
The case report, published Wednesday in JAMA Dermatology by doctors at NYU Langone Health in New York City, comes as clinicians worldwide increasingly say they’re having trouble treating fungal infections.“We think a lot about antibacterial resistance, but this is a very important time for us to think about anti-fungus resistance,” said Mahmoud Ghannoum, a professor of dermatology at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. He was not involved with the new report.The new case involves a New York City man in his 30s who reported having sex with multiple men during a trip to England, Greece and California. When he got home, he developed a red, itchy rash on his legs and across his groin and buttocks.
The species of ringworm is challenging to treat with standard anti-fungal medications.
The illness, Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII (shortened to TMVII), is a type of ringworm that is not fatal but hard to treat. It was reported by the medical journal JAMA Dermatology on Wednesday, June 5….It added that the man said he had sex with several others while he was traveling, though none of the sexual partners reported having similar skin issues.After getting diagnosed, it took over four months for the man to completely heal with the help of anti-fungal medications, NBC News reported.
In fact, it took several rounds of different anti-fungal medication before the infection was cured.
Tests revealed he had the fungus and doctors prescribed him standard antifungal oral medications – but it took his body four and a half months to clear it.The man took fluconazole for four weeks without improvement before moving on to terbinafine for six weeks and then itraconazole for eight weeks.
The lead author of the article, Dr. Avrom Caplan (a professor at NYU’s school of medicine) expressed concern that Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII is the latest in a group of severe skin infections to have now reached the US.
Study senior author Dr John Zampella, also a professor at NYU’s school of medicine, said: ‘Since patients are often reluctant to discuss genital problems, physicians need to directly ask about rashes around the groin and buttocks, especially for those who are sexually active, have recently traveled abroad and report itchy areas elsewhere on the body.’…Though the New York researchers warned the rashes experienced by those experiencing tinea pubogenitalis may present differently and could be mistaken for eczema, leaving patients without relief for months.Treatment for the infection includes non-prescription antifungal creams, ointments, lotions, powders or sprays, but it can take months to clear up. Prescription anti-fungals may be prescribed for hard-to-treat cases.
As a result of their findings, the NYU researchers alerted the New York State Department of Health and said they would work with leading fungi experts worldwide to expand research efforts on new fungal conditions and track emerging cases. After this month, there may be plenty of new data to collect.
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