A Sexually Transmitted Ringworm Fungus Is Spreading in New York City

Gizmodo Dermatologists have discovered five cases of sexually transmitted ringworm in New York City caused by the fungus TMVII this year, the first ever detected in the United States. An unwelcome germ visitor to the Big Apple is making itself cozy. In a recent paper published last month, scientists have reported the growing emergence of a sexually transmitted ringworm fungus—one that has infected at least five people in New York City this year. There are over 40 different types of fungi known to cause ringworm, which is a broad term for fungal infections of the skin, hair and nails (the name alludes to the ring-shaped rashes that often appear, though no worms are involved). While most of these infections are only mildly annoying, dermatologists have begun to notice new, more concerning variants of ringworm emerging in recent years. One of these worrying newcomers is the fungus Trichophyton mentagrophytes ITS genotype VII, or TMVII. The fungus is unusual in that it seems to primarily spread through close sexual contact, something only rarely seen with other forms of ringworm.

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