Trichophyton Indotineae

About Trichophyton Indotineae:

• It is a fungal pathogen that can cause difficult-to-treat skin infections that are widely reported from India.
• The fungus was named after India in 2020 by a Japanese group on the basis of two isolates from India and Nepal, following an academic practice of identifying a new pathogen after the country where it was first sighted.
• The fungus has been documented in over 40 countries.
• It belongs to the dermatophyte group. Dermatophytosis is the superficial infection of the skin, hair, and nails by dermatophyte fungi.
• T. indotineae causes inflammatory and itchy, often widespread, dermatophytosis affecting the groins, gluteal region, trunk, and face.
• Patients of all ages and genders are affected. 
• Transmission: Spreads through direct skin contact and contaminated objects (e.g., towels, clothing).
• It is resistant against the first-line antifungal agent terbinafine.

Q1: What kills dermatophytes?

The first oral agent used to treat a dermatophyte infection was griseofulvin, introduced in clinical practice in 1958 [7]. This molecule interferes with microtubule formation, thus impairing fungal growth and cell division. Allylamines (mainly terbinafine) and triazoles (mainly itraconazole) are used for oral therapy.

Source: DH