GRIM

First Cases of Drug-Resistant Ringworm Found in U.S.

Patients developed horrible rashes.

The CDC on Thursday confirmed that the first known cases of a drug-resistant type of ringworm have been detected inside the United States. The cases were reported to the health organization in February after two unrelated women in New York City first presented with symptoms in 2021 and 2022. One of the patients had no history of international travel, indicating that there is some community spread inside the U.S. Ringworm, which is caused by fungus, can cause symptoms including uncomfortable skin rashes that form a ring around them. The new cases were caused by the recently discovered Trichophyton indotineae fungus. The first U.S. patient, a 28-year-old woman, developed “large annular, scaly, pruritic plaques” over her body, while the second, a 47-year-old woman, also had rashes that didn’t respond to treatment. The CDC’s report recommended “public health surveillance efforts and increased testing” to help detect and monitor the spread.