Public Health Significance of Dermatophytes in Ismailia and Port Said Provinces, Egypt

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  Background : Dermatophytes are common in both developed and developing countries, the species involved and the resulting clinical entities vary geographically. Aim of study: To determine public health importance of dermatophytes with special regard to the distribution of the zoophilic species among the examined human cases. Methods: Patient specimens (dermatophytosis-like lesions) were mycologically examined using direct microscopic and cultural examinations. Results: The overall dermatophyte infection rates among the examined patients (260) were 81.5% and 61.9% by direct microscopic and cultural examinations, respectively. A total of 161 dermatophyte isolates were obtained from culturally positive human specimens. The most common isolated species were Trichophyton violaceum (60, 37.3%) and Microsporum canis (46, 28.6%), followed by Trichophyton rubrum (20, 12.4%), Trichophyton tonsurans (16, 9.9%) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (11, 6.8%). The less frequently isolated species were Trichophyton verrucosum (3, 1.9%), Epidermophyton floccosum (3, 1.9%), Microsporum gypseum (1, 0.6%) and Microsporum audouinii (1, 0.6%). The current study further revealed that out of 161 culturally positive patients, 61 (37.9%) had contact with pet animals, 6 (3.7%) had contact with farm animals, 7 (4.3%) had a history of rodent presence in or around their home and 87 (54%) had no contact with animals. Conclusions and recommendations: Although the anthropophilic species dominated the aetiology of human dermatophytosis in present study, the zoophilic species represented nearly one third of the totally obtained isolates, with the most important organisms being M. canis, T.mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes and T. verrucosum. These findings indicate the necessity of human beings taking appropriate control measures when they are in contact with animals.