Clonal outbreak of Trichophyton tonsurans tinea capitis gladiatorum among wrestlers in Adana, Turkey

Creative Commons License

Ilkit M. M., SARACLI M. A., KURDAK H., TURAC-BICER A., YUKSEL T., KARAKAŞ M., ...More

MEDICAL MYCOLOGY, vol.48, no.3, pp.480-485, 2010 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 48 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2010
  • Doi Number: 10.3109/13693780903278051
  • Journal Name: MEDICAL MYCOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.480-485
  • Keywords: asymptomatic carrier, tinea capitis gladiatorum, tinea corporis gladiatorum, Trichophyton tonsurans, outbreak, DERMATOPHYTE SCALP CARRIAGE, CORPORIS-GLADIATORUM, MOLECULAR TAXONOMY, FUNGAL-INFECTIONS, 20-YEAR SURVEY, GENE LOCUS, EPIDEMIC, SCHOOL, EMERGENCE, PREVALENCE
  • Çukurova University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Tinea capitis gladiatorum and tinea corporis gladiatorum caused by the anthropophilic dermatophyte Trichophyton tonsurans are well-known clinical entities in individuals involved in combat sports e. g., wrestlers and judo practitioners. We present an outbreak of Trichophyton tonsurans tinea capitis gladiatorum among wrestlers at a boarding school in Adana, Turkey. Fourteen of the 29 wrestlers examined (48.3%) harbored the pathogen, including eight asymptomatic scalp carriers, five with tinea capitis superficialis, and one asymptomatic trunk carrier. Dermatophytes were isolated from samples of the neck (1), nape (1), trunk (3) and inguinal area (2) in four of the five tinea capitis cases. A total of five inanimate objects, i.e., two wrestling mats, two pillowcases, and one sheet were also found to be positive for T. tonsurans. Mixed-marker strain typing examining 24 sequence variations in 12 gene loci confirmed that the outbreak was caused by a single strain of T. tonsurans