{"title":"Investigation of a dermatophytosis outbreak in a kindergarten in Doubs, France, June 2022","authors":"Sabrina Tessier , Dominique Cailly , Anne-Pauline Bellanger , Emeline Scherer , Isabelle Lucot , Lauriane Szpakowski-Perrot , Rachel Daveau , Camille Chapulliot , Evelyne Simon-Rose , Antoine Journé , Mélina Renard , Nadia Gharet , François Clinard , Marie Barba-Vasseur","doi":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101537","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101537","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Microsporum audouinii</em>, an anthropophilic dermatophyte has recently reemerged in several European countries (such as France).</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>To describe the epidemiological and microbiological investigations into several reported cases of dermatophytosis to the public health authorities in May 2022 in a kindergarten in the Doubs department (eastern France).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>All children with clinical signs underwent a clinical examination and mycological investigation of skin or scalp samples taken onsite at the kindergarten. Several diagnosis methods were used: Wood's lamp examination, classical process (direct examination associated to culture) and molecular techniques. An epidemiological survey by questionnaire was also performed to collect individual exposure data.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Fifteen children presented lesions during the clinical examination. Therapy was prescribed for nine children based on the 2021 recommendations of the French Society of Dermatology. <em>Microsporum canis</em> was initially diagnosed by the classical process. This identification was not confirmed by epidemiological information (absence of direct contact with animals) and molecular techniques. Finally, <em>Microsporum audouinii</em> was isolated in six children (two positive Wood's lamp examinations) and one staff member.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Species identification allowed us to (1) update the therapeutic strategy (all children were treated successfully) and (2) be more vigilant regarding the risk of human-to-human transmissions. The management of intrafamilial transmissions requires collaboration with healthcare practitioners to clinically examine family members, prescribe laboratory investigations, and reiterate the hygiene measures. This study confirmed the importance of combining field epidemiological investigations and microbiological examinations when managing dermatophytosis outbreaks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14824,"journal":{"name":"Journal de mycologie medicale","volume":"35 1","pages":"Article 101537"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143394391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mirtha Gabriela Santacruz Silvero , Carolina Melchior do Prado , Bram Spruijtenburg , Federico Augusto Lacarrubba Codas , Maria Leticia Ojeda , Bruna Jacomel Favoreto de Souza Lima , Nancy Segovia Coronel , José Pereira Brunelli , Vânia Aparecida Vicente , Theun de Groot , Flávio Queiroz-Telles , Eelco F.J. Meijer
{"title":"The first autochthonous human case of sporotrichosis by Sporothrix brasiliensis in Paraguay","authors":"Mirtha Gabriela Santacruz Silvero , Carolina Melchior do Prado , Bram Spruijtenburg , Federico Augusto Lacarrubba Codas , Maria Leticia Ojeda , Bruna Jacomel Favoreto de Souza Lima , Nancy Segovia Coronel , José Pereira Brunelli , Vânia Aparecida Vicente , Theun de Groot , Flávio Queiroz-Telles , Eelco F.J. Meijer","doi":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101536","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101536","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sporotrichosis by <em>Sporothrix brasiliensis</em> is increasingly reported in South America. Here, we present the first autochthonous human case in Paraguay, transmitted by a local infected cat. After 63 days of clinical signs onset, the patient was correctly diagnosed and antifungal treatment started, highlighting the need to increase awareness for this emerging disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14824,"journal":{"name":"Journal de mycologie medicale","volume":"35 1","pages":"Article 101536"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143350634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bloodstream infection in a neonatal intensive care unit: Epidemiology, Antifungal susceptibility and new drug delivered strategies","authors":"Matheus Ribeiro , Luciana da Silva Ruiz , Rinaldo Ferreira Gandra , Rubiana Mara Mainardes , Carine Teles Sangaleti Miyahara , Débora Moreira , Maurício Domingues-Ferreira , Diniz Pereira Leite Junior , Claudete Rodrigues Paula , Marcos Ereno Auler","doi":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101535","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101535","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bloodstream infection in neonates is a complicated disease and presents a major challenge both in diagnosis and in therapeutic intervention. The focus of the present study was to investigate the incidence, the species distribution and the risk factors associated with mortality of bloodstream infections in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and evaluating the antifungal susceptibility of traditional antifungal drugs and three nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems based on nanoparticles. A total of 458 patients were evaluated, and 9.38 % were confirmed to have bloodstream infections through laboratory tests. The death rate was higher among neonates with fungal infections (66.7 %) compared to those with bacterial infections (5.4 %). Severe health conditions contributed to the increased mortality rate, especially gestational age <em><</em>28 weeks and weight <em><</em>1.000 g. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the major pathogens (64.9 %) considering cases of neonatal sepsis. <em>Candida albicans</em> was the predominant causative agent among neonates with fungemia, although non-<em>albicans</em> species led to the highest mortality rates. <em>In vitro</em> antifungal activity evidenced resistance of <em>C. tropicalis</em> to fluconazole and voriconazole. Three nanoparticles were evaluated: chitosan-coated PLGA containing Amphotericin B, zein containing voriconazole and PLA containing voriconazole, and results were considered promising. The present findings demonstrate the importance of constant epidemiological surveillance in a NICU and the severity of fungal infection in neonates. The results suggest the potential of nanotechnology as an alternative in the treatment of fungal infection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14824,"journal":{"name":"Journal de mycologie medicale","volume":"35 1","pages":"Article 101535"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143065498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jacques Sevestre , Justin Michel , Romain Appay , Stéphane Ranque , Thomas Radulesco , Carole Cassagne
{"title":"An unexpected guest: First report of Tintelnotia destructans as an agent of maxillary fungus ball","authors":"Jacques Sevestre , Justin Michel , Romain Appay , Stéphane Ranque , Thomas Radulesco , Carole Cassagne","doi":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101533","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101533","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fungal rhinosinusal infections comprise several nosological entities, including sinus fungus ball. Diagnosis of sinus fungus ball relies on patient interrogation and clinical and paraclinical findings. Mold species commonly involved include <em>Aspergillus</em>, as well as dematiaceous fungi. Nevertheless, thanks to improvements in fungal culture and species level identification in clinical settings, new species are continuously described as agents in rhinosinusal infections. We present the first report of <em>Tintelnotia destructans</em> causing maxillary sinus fungus ball in a female patient.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14824,"journal":{"name":"Journal de mycologie medicale","volume":"35 1","pages":"Article 101533"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143038978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ibrexafungerp for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials","authors":"Chia Siang Kow , Dinesh Sangarran Ramachandram , Syed Shahzad Hasan , Kaeshaelya Thiruchelvam","doi":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101534","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101534","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a prevalent fungal infection affecting millions of women globally, primarily caused by <em>Candida</em> species, most notably <em>Candida albicans</em>. Ibrexafungerp emerges as a promising candidate in the treatment arsenal against VVC, presenting a novel approach to combating this prevalent fungal infection.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy and safety of ibrexafungerp in the treatment of VVC. Following rigorous methodology, data extraction, risk of bias assessment using Cochrane's RoB 2 tool, and meta-analysis were conducted.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Four RCTs were included in the analyses. The ibrexafungerp regimen utilized across the studies were 300 mg administered twice daily for one day. Meta-analysis revealed that ibrexafungerp was associated with significantly higher clinical cure rates compared to placebo in patients with VVC (pooled odds ratio (OR) 2.32; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.80 to 2.98). Complete symptom resolution was achieved in a greater proportion of participants receiving ibrexafungerp (pooled OR 2.76; 95 % CI 1.62 to 4.71). Analysis of treatment-emergent adverse events revealed a significant higher incidence of at least one treatment-emergent adverse event with ibrexafungerp compared to placebo (pooled OR 2.83; 95 % CI 2.06 to 3.88).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study provides robust support for the efficacy of ibrexafungerp in the treatment of VVC. While the safety profile of ibrexafungerp appears favorable with mostly mild adverse events reported, decision-making in the clinical context should be guided by individual patient factors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14824,"journal":{"name":"Journal de mycologie medicale","volume":"35 1","pages":"Article 101534"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143074460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Disseminated histoplasmosis in a 4-month-old infant presenting with prolonged fever and pancytopenia: A case report","authors":"Brady Floyd , Farrah Gaston , Reem Saadoon , Nadia Shaikh , Mustafa Bakir","doi":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101532","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2025.101532","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Histoplasmosis is the most prevalent endemic mycosis in the United States, typically affecting immunocompromised individuals. Diagnosis of histoplasmosis in immunocompetent patients is rare, particularly among young infants, with only a few cases reported.</div></div><div><h3>Case presentation</h3><div>We present a 4-month-old female with a history of prematurity who initially presented with 11 days of fever. She visited her local emergency department, where she was diagnosed with Rhino/enterovirus bronchiolitis. Pancytopenia was noted at that time, attributed to viral bone marrow suppression. Persistent fever and pancytopenia led to her transfer to our hospital for further evaluation and treatment. On admission, she exhibited hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia, elevated procalcitonin, and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Additionally, T cell deficiency was observed. Initially, there was concern for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis; however, bone marrow biopsy and aspirate confirmed T cell deficiency. As fever persisted on day 19, further investigations were conducted, including a positive beta-D-glucan assay. Subsequent urine and serum <em>Histoplasma</em> antigen tests were positive, with metagenomic sequencing confirming the diagnosis of histoplasmosis. Treatment comprised one week of amphotericin B followed by three months of oral itraconazole. Resolution of fever, pancytopenia, T cell deficiency, and hepatosplenomegaly occurred, and the patient has shown no signs of recurrence to date.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This case serves as a reminder to clinicians regarding the necessity of considering disseminated histoplasmosis in young infants who present with fever of unknown origin, pancytopenia, and hepatosplenomegaly, despite its rarity. Failure to do so can lead to fatal outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14824,"journal":{"name":"Journal de mycologie medicale","volume":"35 1","pages":"Article 101532"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142970876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biliary diffusion and antifungal activity of caspofungin and fluconazole in liver transplant recipients: A pilot study","authors":"Cécile Garnaud , Thibaut Gelé , Elodie Gautier-Veyret , Agnès Bonadona , Thomas Lefebvre , Christelle Boglione-Kerrien , Françoise Stanke-Labesque , Jean-Pierre Gangneux , Françoise Botterel , Anne Hulin , Muriel Cornet","doi":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2024.101531","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2024.101531","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Invasive candidiasis, including intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC), is a common complication after liver transplantation. Antifungal drugs such as echinocandins and fluconazole (FCZ) are frequently used to prevent or treat such fungal infections. The diffusion of these antifungals within abdominal body sites has been rarely reported, in particular, in liver transplant recipients. This study aimed to evaluate the biliary diffusion of caspofungin (CAS) and FCZ. CAS and FCZ concentrations were determined in plasma and bile using a validated liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method. Biliary concentrations of CAS (<em>n</em> = 5) and FCZ (<em>n</em> = 12) ranged from 1.6 to 4.4 and 6.4 to 33.4 mg/L, respectively, with respective medians of 1.9 and 17.7 mg/L. These values are higher than the MICs for yeast species frequently involved in IAC, suggesting that such antifungal exposure is sufficient to prevent/cure these infections. However, yeast was found in bile collected during CAS treatment from 3/5 patients, raising questions about the effective antifungal activity of this echinocandin at this anatomical site. Our pilot study shows that CAS and FCZ diffuse to the bile of liver transplant recipients. However, whether the observed antifungal concentrations are sufficiently high to prevent/cure IAC remains an unanswered question</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14824,"journal":{"name":"Journal de mycologie medicale","volume":"35 1","pages":"Article 101531"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142965014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Thymol inhibits ergosterol biosynthesis in Nakaseomyces glabratus, but differently from azole antifungals","authors":"Fatemeh Asmiteh , Milad Lagzian , Reza Valadan , Mahdi Abastabar , Tahereh Shokohi , Mohammad taghi Hedayati , Shima Parsay , Abolfazl Saravani , Maryam Moazeni","doi":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2024.101530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2024.101530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div><em>Nakaseomyces glabratus</em> is considered a high priority of attention according to WHO, and also is an important yeast species due to its high rate of intrinsic/acquired resistance against fluconazole. This study aimed at the possible mechanisms of action of thymol, as the promising new antifungal agent, in <em>N. glabratus.</em></div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Thirty previously identified <em>N. glabratus</em> isolates were selected for investigation of the thymol susceptibility pattern. The antifungal susceptibility test was performed according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards protocol published as M27-A2 document. Likely changes in the expression pattern of genes involved in the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway were assessed by Real-time PCR assay. The ultrastructure characteristics of thymol-treated yeasts and also the possible interactive proteins, as targets for thymol binding, were performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and reverse molecular docking, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged between 32–128 µg/mL which were statistically significant between the fluconazole-susceptible and fluconazole-resistant yeast group (P<0. 05). TEM observation results showed that thymol led to peripheral vacuole formation which refers to plasma membrane damage and cell membrane separation from the cell wall. Thymol exhibits antifungal activity against <em>N. glabratus</em> by regulating multiple signaling pathways including ergosterol biosynthesis (<em>ERG1</em>) and <em>HOG</em> (high-osmolarity glycerol) MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathways. In consistence with the yielded gene expression patterns, docking evaluation findings also revealed the high affinity of thymol with proteins related to the <em>ERG1</em> gene. Accordingly, thymol's high affinity to chitin synthase and calcineurin subunit B was noteworthy.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Thymol might employ its antifungal effect by involving different pathways comprising ergosterol biosynthesis inhibition but not identical to the azole drugs. It is highly suggested that thymol ruins cell membrane function by decreasing the ergosterol/or chitin content. However, studying more ergosterol biosynthesis-related genes and also the yeast apoptotic responses is highly recommended for future investigations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14824,"journal":{"name":"Journal de mycologie medicale","volume":"35 1","pages":"Article 101530"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143005732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Terhi Juusola , Elina Aho-Laukkanen , Marko Rahkonen , Vesa Mäki-Koivisto , Ilkka S. Junttila
{"title":"Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis in a patient on immunomodulatory drug: A case report","authors":"Terhi Juusola , Elina Aho-Laukkanen , Marko Rahkonen , Vesa Mäki-Koivisto , Ilkka S. Junttila","doi":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2024.101529","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2024.101529","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Cryptococcus neoformans</em> is an important fungal pathogen causing pneumonia and central nervous system infections mainly in immunocompromised hosts. Fingolimod is an immunomodulatory drug approved in the US and Europe for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.</div></div><div><h3>Case presentation</h3><div>We herein report a case of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis in a 46-year-old male with a history of fingolimod for five years. He suffered from a progressive headache and visual impairment. These symptoms led to a suspicion of a central nervous system infection and <em>C. neoformans</em> was identified with nucleic acid-based PCR method. Subsequently, appropriate treatment was initiated, and the patient recovered.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our case underlines the importance of active diagnostic measures such as cerebrospinal fluid analysis in patients under fingolimod treatment with central nervous symptoms. While multiple sclerosis may cause headache and vision impairment, similar symptoms may be caused by central nervous system infections. It has been suggested that fingolimod may subject one to infections and this may occur even years after initiation of the treatment. For our case patient Cerebrospinal fluid sample combined with PCR-based identification provided a rapid diagnosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14824,"journal":{"name":"Journal de mycologie medicale","volume":"35 1","pages":"Article 101529"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142931740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nambininiavo Marianne Ranorohasimanana , Mohammad Akhoundi , Alexandra Dorleans , Emma Benamari , Sedera Radoniaina Rakotondrasoa , Dina Haribenja Rasoavololona , Masy Nasandratra Razafindrakotosoa , Arezki Izri , Lala Rasoamialy-Soa Razanakolona , Sophie Brun
{"title":"Prevalence of tinea capitis among schoolchildren in Mahajanga, northern Madagascar: An epidemio-clinical survey using conventional, proteomic and molecular approaches","authors":"Nambininiavo Marianne Ranorohasimanana , Mohammad Akhoundi , Alexandra Dorleans , Emma Benamari , Sedera Radoniaina Rakotondrasoa , Dina Haribenja Rasoavololona , Masy Nasandratra Razafindrakotosoa , Arezki Izri , Lala Rasoamialy-Soa Razanakolona , Sophie Brun","doi":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2024.101528","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mycmed.2024.101528","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aimed to determine the prevalence, clinical, and epidemiological features of tinea capitis (TC) in schoolchildren in Mahajanga city, north-west Madagascar, to identify the etiological dermatophyte species by morphological, proteomic and molecular approaches and ultimately to analyze the risk factors promoting TC in the studied region.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A survey was conducted in a randomly selected primary school. Symptomatic schoolchildren with signs resembling TC were sampled by scraping and sterile swabbing after examination of the scalp with a Wood's lamp. The collected specimens were then analyzed by a combination of conventional, proteomic, and molecular examinations</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results of this study revealed a prevalence of TC of 8.7 % (39/449). Boys were much more affected than girls (M/<em>F</em> = 3.3). A little more than half (53.8 %) of TC cases exhibited large (>2 cm) alopecic patches. Pruritus was the most frequent clinical sign in 74.4 % of cases. The incriminated species identified by morphology and confirmed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and ITS sequencing were exclusively <em>Microsporum audouinii</em>. Playing football, running and contact with animals were statistically associated with TC. Inversely, the use of soap and the application of styling oil were protective against TC.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In this first investigation carried out in Mahajanga city, the prevalence of TC was 8.7 % and <em>M. audouinii</em> was the only responsible agent identified by three methods. Molecular approach allowed identification of the dermatophyte species in the specimens with inconclusive culture but positive direct examination. The risk factors such as playing football, running and contact with animals were significantly associated with TC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14824,"journal":{"name":"Journal de mycologie medicale","volume":"35 1","pages":"Article 101528"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142914794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}