ASSIGNMENT RING WORM

NAME IMRAN ALI

REG NO 657-FBAS/BSBT/F14

SUBJECT MICROBIOLOGY

SUBMITTED TO SIR ABDUR RAB FAISAL SULTAN

DEPATMENT BIOTECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCES

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD

INTRODUCTION:

RINGWORM  is a common fungal infection of the skin and is not due to a worm.

The medical term for ringworm is tinea or "dermatophyte infections" or "dermatophytosis". The condition is further named for the site of the body where the infection occurs.

Ringworm, which isn't a worm at all, can affect not only the skin, but also the nails and scalp.

Ringworm of the skin starts as a red, scaly patch or bump. Ringworm tends to be very itchy and uncomfortable. Over time, it may begin to look like a ring or a series of rings with raised, bumpy, scaly borders (the center is often clear). This ring pattern gave ringworm its name, but not every person who's infected develops the rings.

When ringworm affects the feet it's known as athlete's foot, and the rash, which is usually between a person's toes, appears patchy. In fact, the rashes a person gets with athlete's foot and jock itch may not look like rings at all — they may be red, scaly patches.

Ringworm of the scalp may start as a small sore that resembles a pimple before becoming patchy, flaky, or scaly. It may cause some hair to fall out or break into stubbles. It can also cause the place where the infection is to become swollen, tender, and red.

Ringworm of the nails may affect one or more nails on a person's hands or feet. The nails may become thick, white or yellowish, and brittle.

HISTORY:

At the discovery of Ringworm, doctors believed it was caused by worms, hence its name. 

Ringworm was highly contagious in the 1800's, but little was known about the infection. Ringworm was common among poor people and was thought to be caused by poor diet and bad hygiene. Barbers during this time were able to spread the infection from one person's head to another because of low sanitation of their razors and scissors. To treat the fungus, doctors would pluck the hair out individually or remove them simultaneously with a plaster.

Around 1843, David Gruby described a fungus that causes a certain ringworm.Serious studies only started in the 1940's when the United States Military began contracting ringworm while stationed in the South Pacific during World War II.In the 20th century, London had many special "ringworm" schools where schoolchildren would be brought to keep from getting Ringworm. Students were treated with x-ray therapy that helped ward off the infection. Although the x-rays helped to kill the fungus, the exposure became highly toxic.

TYPES OF RINGWORM

The most common types of ringworm include the following:

Athlete's foot (tinea pedis). This common condition mostly affects teen and adult males. It less frequently affects hildren before puberty. Contributing causes include sweating, not drying the feet well after swimming or bathing, wearing tight socks and shoes, and warm weather conditions. Symptoms of athlete's foot may include:

Whitening of the skin between the toes Scaling of the feet Itchy rash on the feet Blisters on the feet

Jock itch (tinea cruris).

 Ringworm may be hard to cure. This condition is also more common in

males and occurs more often during warm weather conditions. It is very rare in females. Symptoms of jock itch may include: Red, ring-like patches in the groin area Itching in the groin area Pain in the groin area Does not usually involve the scrotum

Scalp ringworm (tinea capitis).  Scalp ringworm is highly contagious, especially among children. It occurs mainly in children between the ages of 2 to 10. It rarely occurs in adults. Symptoms of scalp ringworm may include:

Red, scaly rash on the scalp Itching of the scalp Hair loss on the scalp Rash elsewhere on the body

Ringworm of the scalp can also develop into a kerion, a large, tender lesion over the area of the initial ringworm. This is caused by a hypersensitivity to the ringworm and may be associated with a rash elsewhere and tender lymph nodes in the neck.

Nail infection (tinea unguium).

 An infection of the finger or toe nail, this type is characterized by a thickened, deformed nail. This condition more often affects the toenails than the fingernails. It occurs more often in adolescents and adults rather than young children. Symptoms of nail ringworm may include: Thickening of the ends of the nails Yellow color to the nails

Body ringworm (tinea corporis).

 This skin infection is characterized by a ring-like rash anywhere on the body or the face. It occurs in all ages, but is seen more frequently in children. It is more common in warmer climates. The symptoms of body ringworm may include: Red, circular lesion with raised edges The middle of the lesion may become less red as the lesion grows Itching of the affected area

The symptoms of ringworm may resemble other skin conditions.

Causes:Ringworm is common, especially among children. However, it may affect people of all ages. It is caused by a fungus, not a worm like the name suggests.

Many bacteria and fungi live on your body. Some of these are useful, while others can cause infections. Ringworm occurs when a type of fungus called tinea grows and multiplies on your skin.

Ringworm can affect the skin on your:

Beard -- tinea barbae Body -- tinea corporis Feet -- tinea pedis (also called athlete's foot) Groin area -- tinea cruris (also called jock itch) Scalp -- tinea capitis

Ringworm can spread easily from one person to another. You can catch ringworm if you touch someone who has the infection, or if you come into contact with items contaminated by the fungus, such as combs, unwashed clothing, and shower or pool surfaces. You can also catch ringworm from pets that carry the fungus. Cats are common carriers.

The fungus that causes ringworm thrive in warm, moist areas. Ringworm is more likely when you are often wet (such as from sweating) and from minor injuries to your skin, scalp, or nails.

SymptomsSymptoms of ringworm include:

Itchy, red, raised, scaly patches that may blister and ooze. The patches tend to have sharply-defined edges. Red patches are often redder around the outside with normal skin tone

in the center. This may look like a ring.

If ringworm affects your hair, you will have bald patches.

If ringworm affects your nails, they will become discolored, thick, and even crumble.

How do I know if I have ringworm?

Your doctor will probably recognise the characteristic rash of ringworm. However, he or she may also:

Look at the infection with a special ultraviolet light that can detect traces of fluorescent materials that occur in a ringworm infection.

Scrape an area of affected skin and look at the sample under the microscope. Take a sample of skin scrapings for culture, to find out which fungus is causing

the infection in order to select the most effective antifungal medicine

How can I prevent ringworm?

Good personal hygiene helps prevent the spread of ringworm. Teach your child to practise good hygiene and generally not to share combs, brushes, or hats. Children also shouldn't share towels, clothes, or sports equipment that haven't been properly cleaned.

Ringworm can also be transmitted from an infected dog or cat, so avoid animals who look mangy or have bald spots in their coats. If you have an animal that you think may have ringworm, take it to the vet for treatment.

TREATMENT In most cases, you can treat ringworm of the skin with antifungal creams or ointments. Many are available without a prescription.

Use a nonprescription antifungal cream with miconazole or clotrimazole in it. Brand names include Micatin, Mycelex, and Tinactin. Terbinafine cream (Lamisil) is also available without a prescription.

Wash the rash with soap and water, and dry thoroughly. For large areas of blistered sores, use compresses such as those made with Burow's solution (available without a prescription) to soothe and dry out theblisters.

Apply antifungal cream beyond the edge or border of the rash.

Follow the directions on the package. Don't stop using the medicine just because your symptoms go away. You will probably need to continue treatment for 2 to 4 weeks.

If symptoms do not improve after 2 weeks, call your doctor.

If your rash does not clear after you have tried different topical antifungals, or if the infection is widespread, you may need prescription antifungal pills.

If you have both athlete's foot and ringworm of your groin or legs, you should treat both infections. This will prevent you from re-infecting your legs or groin with the athlete's foot fungus, when you put on your underwear.

REFERENCES:

www.google.com/wikipedia

www.medicienet.com

www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus

www.webmd.com

www.nhs.uk

www.drgreene.com

www.emedicenehealth.com

www.theiftindian.com

www.naturealternative.com

www.pinterst.com

www.herbalgram.com