Human Infections with Microsporum gypseum Complex (Nannizzia gypsea) in Slovenia

Type and reference strains of members of the onygenalean family Arthrodermataceae have been sequenced for rDNA ITS and partial LSU, the ribosomal 60S protein, and fragments of β-tubulin and translation elongation factor 3. The resulting phylogenetic trees showed a large degree of correspondence, and topologies matched those of earlier published phylogenies demonstrating that the phylogenetic representation of dermatophytes and dermatophyte-like fungi has reached an acceptable level of stability. All trees showed Trichophyton to be polyphyletic. In the present paper, Trichophyton is restricted to mainly the derived clade, resulting in classification of nearly all anthropophilic dermatophytes in Trichophyton and Epidermophyton, along with some zoophilic species that regularly infect humans. Microsporum is restricted to some species around M. canis, while the geophilic species and zoophilic species that are more remote from the human sphere are divided over Arthroderma, Lophophyton and Nannizzia. A new genus Guarromyces is proposed for Keratinomyces ceretanicus. Thirteen new combinations are proposed; in an overview of all described species it is noted that the largest number of novelties was introduced during the decades 1920–1940, when morphological characters were used in addition to clinical features. Species are neo- or epi-typified where necessary, which was the case in Arthroderma curreyi, Epidermophyton floccosum, Lophophyton gallinae, Trichophyton equinum, T. mentagrophytes, T. quinckeanum, T. schoenleinii, T. soudanense, and T. verrucosum. In the newly proposed taxonomy, Trichophyton contains 16 species, Epidermophyton one species, Nannizzia 9 species, Microsporum 3 species, Lophophyton 1 species, Arthroderma 21 species and Ctenomyces 1 species, but more detailed studies remain needed to establish species borderlines. Each species now has a single valid name. Two new genera are introduced: Guarromyces and Paraphyton. The number of genera has increased, but species that are relevant to routine diagnostics now belong to smaller groups, which enhances their identification. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11046-016-0073-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Dermatophytes are among the common fungal agents implicated in superficial skin infections worldwide. They include species of Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. In hot and humid climates of tropical and subtropical regions, the incidence of these pathogens is higher. We present in this article, the epidemiological data regarding the prevalence of different dermatophyte species involved in superficial mycoses in human patients in the state of Himachal Pradesh (India) and different clinical conditions, age and sex of the patients. A total of 202 samples in the form of skin and nail scrapings, hair follicles were collected from different ringworm/tinea conditions which included: Tinea corporis, T. capitis, T. cruris, T. pedis, T. unguium, T. faciei, T. manuum and T. gladiatorum. On culturing, 74 samples (36.6%) were found positive for dermatophyte spp. Trichophyton spp. was the predominant one (98.65% cases) followed by Microsporum gypseum (1.35% cases). However, we did not recover any Epidermophyton spp. Among the Trichophyton spp., T. mentegrophyte was the predominant spp. (63.5%) followed by T. rubrum (35.1%). The male to female ratio of the positive cases was recorded as 63:11. The most effected age group was 21–50 years (64.9%) followed by 1–20 years (28.4%) and above 50 years (6.8%).

Infections of the skin, hair and nails by dermatophyte fungi are common in developed and developing countries alike. However, the species involved and the resulting clinical entities vary both geographically and with time. We have surveyed 15,333 dermatophytes obtained from primary isolations at the Mycology Reference Laboratory, Bristol, UK from 1980 through 2005. Several striking trends in dermatophyte prevalence were apparent over this period. The relative frequencies of isolations of Microsporum canis (cat and dog ringworm), Trichophyton verrucosum (cattle ringworm), T. mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes (rodent ringworm) and Epidermophyton floccosum (a cause of human groin and foot infections) all decreased by 90%. Conversely, the contributions of T. tonsurans and T. violaceum (two anthropophilic scalp-infecting species) to total dermatophyte isolations increased by 1000% over the same period. Finally, T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes var. interdigitale, the two common causes of foot infection comprised 80% of all dermatophytes isolated in 1980 and 90% of isolations in 2005. Similar trends in dermatophyte prevalence were evidenced throughout the British Isles, based on the voluntary reporting of isolations from a large number of British laboratories at 5-yearly intervals over the same period. The implications of these changing patterns of dermatophyte species, and the clinical entities they produce are discussed in the context of a review of worldwide dermatophyte isolations over the last three decades, with emphasis on the causal agents of tinea capitis.