CDC identifies first-ever drug-resistant ringworm in U.S.

CDC reported that two cases of drug-resistant ringworm infections involving the fungus Trichophyton indotineae were identified in New York City, the first such cases in the country.

According to CDC, the use of conventional treatments has not been successful in treating the infections of the two patients. One of the patients, a woman age 28 years, developed a rash in the summer of 2021 across a large portion of her upper body, while the other patient, a woman 47 years of age, developed a rash across a large portion of her lower body in the summer of 2022.

The older woman was infected with the rash while in Bangladesh, while the other woman had not traveled abroad recently. This suggests that it could be a “potential local U.S. transmission,” according to CDC. Neither woman had underlying health conditions. A dermatologist in New York alerted public health officials of the cases in February.

The infection is typically associated with widespread and inflamed plaques on the body. Earlier cases of drug-resistant ringworm have been reported in Europe, Asia, and Canada.

CDC advised health care providers to expect to give up to 12 weeks of treatment if this species of fungus is detected.