The first U.S. cases of a drug-resistant ringworm have been discovered in New York City, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Ringworm is "a common, highly contagious, superficial infection of the skin, hair, or nails" caused by a fungus known as Trichophyton indotineae. It spreads via skin-to-skin contact and "usually looks like a circular pattern of raised, itchy scales," according to NBC News.
There have been two reported cases in two unrelated women. One of the women had no history of international travel, meaning the spread came from within the U.S., CNN reports. Cases first appeared in South Asia before popping up in Europe and now the U.S. The CDC believes that the fungus' new-found drug resistance is due to the "misuse and overuse of topical antifungals and corticosteroids."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"It may also be a little more widespread than we have noted before," Dr. Priya Soni of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center told CNN. "I think it's important to be aware that we may be seeing more of this particular species as we go into the warmer, moist summer months." Other fungal infections, like Candida auris, have also begun to make an appearance, likely because of climate change. "Any kind of ringworm really flourishes in the warm, moist weather," Soni continued. "I think with globalization and just the travel that we're going to see over the summer, this may be something that we may see more of as the months go on."
-
Tips for surviving loneliness during the holiday season — with or without peoplethe week recommends Solitude is different from loneliness
-
More women are using more testosterone despite limited researchThe explainer There is no FDA-approved testosterone product for women
-
Peanut allergies have plummeted in childrenUnder the radar Early introduction could be an effective prevention method
-
Climate change is getting under our skinUnder the radar Skin conditions are worsening because of warming temperatures
-
Is this the end of ultraprocessed foods?Today's Big Question California law and the MAHA movement are on the same track
-
Bluetoothing: the phenomenon driving HIV spike in FijiUnder the Radar ‘Blood-swapping’ between drug users fuelling growing health crisis on Pacific island
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the rightSpeed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
The new Stratus Covid strain – and why it’s on the riseThe Explainer ‘No evidence’ new variant is more dangerous or that vaccines won’t work against it, say UK health experts
