Incidence and diagnosis of dermatophyte fungal diseases in Cork city and county

Summary

This paper defines the dermatophyte group of infections in Cork city and county over a 10 year period 1967–1977. It is a follow-up to a similar survey spanning the years 1963–1967 in the same area (Buckley and Foley, 1968). Seven hundred and fifty-eight fungi were isolated from 3865 specimens and were analysed according to age, sex and anatomical distribution. There were 313 cases ofTrichophyton verrucosum accounting for 41% of all positive cultures. This predominance is because of the emphasis on dairy farming in the environs. The most notable increase in incidence occurred inTrichophyton mentagrophytes which increased from 6.8% to 21.5%. No explanation for this is obvious.Microsporon canis was the next most commonly isolated fungus occurring predominantly on children's scalps, often occurring in more than one member of the same family, emphasising its contagious nature.

Trichophyton rubrum accounted for 6.5% of cases. Only 2 patients in this group had never been abroad. A single case ofTrichophyton soudanense is included here (Buckley and Foley, 1971). This was the first time this fungus has been grown in this country.