Abstract
Data for dermatophyte infections analysed for five 3-year periods between 1954 to 1981 led to the following conclusions: (1) Tinea pedis, tinea cruris and tinea manuum showed an increase in the 50's and 60's and declined in the 70's; (2) Tinea unguium and tinea corporis showed an increase during the whole period; (3) At all these sites, the percentage of Trichophyton rubrum, the main etiologic agent, increased steadily over the periods while the percentage of Trichophyton mentagrophytes, the secondary etiological agent, decreased. Epidermophyton floccosum, the third etiological agent in these sites, showed no sharp fluctuations; (4) These three dermatophytes which show similar microclimatic requirements and favour the same microecological niches, were called ‘glabrohydrophilic’. In tinea corporis they form a definite subset, their percentage being similar to that at other glabrous sites; (5) Tinea capitis was at its peak in the 50's, decreased sharply until the second half of the 70's, its main etiological agent being Trichophyton violaceum. Since 1979, an increase of tinea capitis occurred due to the newly introduced Microsporum canis; (6) Dermatophytes favouring scalp hair were called ‘trichophilic’. In tinea corporis they form a definite subset, their percentage being similar to that of tinea capitis; (7) A comparison with other studies from this country shows that macroclimate (i.e. humid warm coastal climate compared with dry cooler inland-mountain climate) is not an important factor in the etiology of tinea.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alteras, I. & N. Lehrer, 1977. A critical survey of 1000 cases of dermatophytes in the Tel-Aviv area during 1970–1975. Mycopathologia 62: 121–124.
Alteras, I. & E. J. Feuerman, 1979. Two outbreaks of Microsporum canis ringworm in Israel. Mycopathologia 67: 169–172.
Berlin, Ch. & C. Meyrovitz, 1955. The management of tinea capitis. Report on 1877 treated cases. British J. Dermatol 67: 379–401.
Blank, F. & S. J. Mann, 1975. Trichophyton rubrum infections according to age, anatomical distribution and sex. British J. Dermatol 92: 171–174.
Dostrovsky, A., G. Kallner, F. Raubitschek & F. Sagher, 1955. Tinea capitis. An Epidemiologic, Therapeutic & Laboratory Investigation of 6390 cases. J. Invest. Dermat. 24: 195–200.
Dvoretzky, L, D. Semah, B. Sommer & K. Fisher, 1978. Microsporum canis infection: first epidemic in Israel. Sabouraudia 16: 79–81.
Feinstein, L., L. Ziprkowski, B. Sommer & Z. Harari, 1971. Epidemiology of fungus infections. Harefuah 80: 649–652.
Fleiss, J. L., 1981. Statistical methods for rate and proportions: second edition. Wiley, New York, p. 217.
Hopkins, J. G., A. B. Hillegas, R. Bruce Lectin, C. Rebell & E. Camp, 1947. Dermatophytes at an infantrypost. Incidence & Characteristics of infection by the species of fungi. J. Invest. Dermat. 8: 291–316.
Mantel, N., 1963. Chi-square tests with one degree of freedom, extensions of the Mantel-Haenszel procedure. J. American Statistical Association: 690–700.
Miescher, G. Trichophytin and Epidermophytin in Jadassohns ‘Handbuch der Haut- und Geschlechts Krankheiten’. Band 11: Dermatomykosen, p. 455.
Raubitschek, F., 1958. A Critical Survey of Medical Mycology in Israel 1946–1956. Mycopathologia et Mycologia Applicata, 9: 176–182.
Sagher, F., 1947. Laboratory aspects of fungous disease of the skin and hair. Acta Med. Oritent. 6: 68–78.
Ziprkowski, L. & B. Sommer, 1969. The mycotic flora in Israel. Mykosen 12: 177–181.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Evron, R., Ganor, S., Wax, Y. et al. Epidemiological trends of dermatophytoses and dermatophytes in Jerusalem between 1954 and 1981. Mycopathologia 90, 113–120 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00436862
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00436862