This skin fungus can resist common treatments — and it’s becoming a global concern
Evidence shows that this fungus is spreading at an alarming rate, becoming a major health concern across numerous countries.
FILE: Dog nearly dies after losing lung from inhaling fungus found in soil
Three-year-old black lab Mocha nearly died from a blastomycosis infection after likely inhaling a fungus from the soil around his home.
THE TAKEAWAY
- A fungal skin pathogen is resistant to medication.
- The number of cases has steadily increased in recent years.
- The fungus was detected in several countries where cases have never been reported.
An intensely itchy fungal infection is proving increasingly difficult to fight, with new research raising concerns about drug-resistant ringworm around the world.
In a recent CDC study, officials found that the fungal skin pathogen dermatophyte Trichophyton indotineae is resistant to terbinafine, a medication used to treat fungal infections of the skin, nails, scalp and body.
NORTH CAROLINA TEEN DIES AFTER CONTRACTING RARE BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA
Researchers first identified the fungal pathogen in 2008, and in 2016, dermatologists in India noticed a rise in cases across the country.
An Enteric Diseases Laboratory Branch (EDLB) public health scientist prepares foodborne bacteria for a DNA fingerprinting test, 2019. Image courtesy CDC.
(Smith Collection/Gado / Getty Images)
Those cases were associated with T. mentagrophytes, which was frequently resistant to the medication terbinafine.
From March 2022 to Dec. 2025, the total cases of Trichophyton indotineae jumped to 1,692 across 54 different countries.
POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING FUNGUS RAPIDLY SPREADING ACROSS THE US WITH LIMITED TREATMENT OPTIONS
The fungus was detected in several countries where cases have never been reported, such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Colombia and Uruguay.
soil microorganisms under a microscope including amoeba, flagellates, nematodes, fungi, bacteria
(Anggi Dharma Prasetya / Getty Images)
Evidence shows that this fungus is spreading at an alarming rate, becoming a major health concern across numerous countries.
Microscopic analysis is difficult because it resembles other fungi, including Trichophyton interdigitale and T. mentagrophytes.
HIDDEN HAZARD: HOW TO STAY SAFE FROM HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS THIS SUMMER
Thankfully, laser desorption/ionization has become an effective method in identifying fungal pathogens, according to the CDC.
Atlanta, Georgia, USA - August 28, 2011: Close up of entrance sign for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sign located near the 1700 block of Clifton Road in Atlanta, Georgia, on the Emory University campus. Vertical composition.
(sshepard / Getty Images)
Because this fungus has spread internationally and is resistant to terbinafine, doctors will need to conduct large-scale laboratory testing to identify it and choose an appropriate new treatment.
COULD A DEADLY TICK-BORNE ALLERGY BE STOPPED? SCIENTISTS UNCOVER POTENTIAL NEW TREATMENT
Over time, experts should be able to find a compatible medication that can effectively resist the effects of this fungus.