Microbiology & Parasitology Assignment

Name: Ordaniel, Mikylla A. Year & Section: BSN 1-2

Date: March 23, 2024 Professor: Dr. Jhason John Cabigon

a) Tinea pedis (athlete's foot) affects the feet

What is tinea pedis?

Tinea pedis is a foot infection due to a dermatophyte fungus. It is the most common
dermatophyte infection and is particularly prevalent in hot, tropical, urban
environments.

 Interdigital involvement is most commonly seen (this presentation is also

known as athlete’s foot, although some people use the term for any kind of
tinea pedis).
 Tinea pedis may be accompanied by tinea cruris, tinea manuum or tinea
unguium.

Who gets tinea pedis?

Tinea pedis usually occurs in males and adolescents/young adults, but can also
affect females, children and older people. Infection is usually acquired by direct
contact with the causative organism, for example using a shared towel, or by
walking barefoot in a public change room.

Other risk factors include:

 Occlusive footwear (for example, heavy industrial boots)

 Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)
 Underlying immunodeficiency or diabetes mellitus
 Systemic corticosteroids or immune suppressive medications
 Poor peripheral circulation or lymphoedema.

Stewart, Thomas. “Tinea Pedis | DermNet NZ.” Dermnetnz.org, Apr. 2018,

dermnetnz.org/topics/tinea-pedis.
b) Tinea unguium affects the fingernails and toenails

What is tinea unguium?

Tinea unguium is the term used to describe toenail fungus caused by

dermatophytes. A dermatophyte is a kind of mold that grows only with the help of
the protein keratin. Nails' primary structural component, keratin, is what gives them
their hardness. 90% of fungal infections in toenails are caused by dermatophytes.
Another name for tinea unguium is onychomycosis.

Who gets fungal nail infections?

Onychomycosis is common in older aged adults (over 65 years), diabetics,
immunocompromised patients (especially those with HIV disease), and athletes.
Onychomycosis may be present amongst family members due to autosomal
inheritance (HLA-DR8) or environmental factors. It rarely occurs in children.

Tinea unguium can change your toenail’s appearance in more than one way:

 Change color, looking white, yellow or brown.

 Look chalky or cloudy in some spots.
 Thicken and possibly look misshapen.
 Separate from your nail bed (leaving space between your nail and the skin
underneath).
 Crack or break in one or more spots.

“Toenail Fungus (Onychomycosis): Causes & Symptoms.” Cleveland Clinic, 11

Aug. 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11303-toenail-fungus
c) Tinea corporis affects the arms, legs, and trunk with ringworm

What is tinea corporis?

Tinea corporis is a superficial fungal infection of the skin that can affect any part of
the body, excluding the hands and feet, scalp, face and beard, groin, and nails. It is
commonly called ‘ringworm’ as it presents with characteristic ring-shaped lesions.

Who gets tinea corporis?

Tinea corporis is found in most parts of the world, but particularly in

hot humid climates. It is most commonly seen in children and young adults, however
all age groups can be infected including newborns.

Bell, Harriet. “Tinea Corporis | Dermnet NZ.” Dermnetnz.org, Nov. 2020,

dermnetnz.org/topics/tinea-corporis.

d) Tinea cruris (jock itch) affects the groin area

What is tinea cruris?

Tinea cruris, also known as ‘jock itch’, is a specific form of tinea due to
a dermatophyte fungus affecting the groin, pubic region, and adjacent thigh. It
presents as an acute or chronic asymmetrical rash.
Who gets tinea cruris?

Tinea cruris affects both sexes, with a male predominance. All ages
can develop tinea cruris, adolescents and adults more commonly than children and
the elderly. Tinea cruris can affect all races, being particularly common in
hot humid tropical climates.

Predisposing factors for tinea cruris include:

 Longstanding tinea pedis

 Previous episodes of tinea cruris
 Occlusive clothing
 Obesity
 Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)
 Diabetes mellitus
 Topical steroid use

Tan, Katrina . “Tinea Cruris | DermNet NZ.” Dermnetnz.org, June 2021,

dermnetnz.org/topics/tinea-cruris.

e) Tinea manuum affects the hands and palm area

What is tinea manuum?

• Tinea manuum is a dermatophyte infection of one or both hands. It is much less

common than tinea pedis (tinea affecting the foot).

Who gets tinea manuum?

 Tinea manuum results from:

 Contact with another site of infection, particularly the feet (tinea pedis) or groin
(tinea cruris)
 Contact with another person with tinea
 Direct contact with an infected animal or soil
 Contact with a contaminated object such as a towel or gardening tool.
 It is more likely in those doing manual work, who sweat profusely (hyperhidrosis,)
or who already have hand dermatitis

“Tinea Manuum | DermNet NZ.” Dermnetnz.org, 2023, dermnetnz.org/topics/tinea-

manuum

F) Tinea capitis affects the scalp

What is tinea capitis?

Tinea capitis is a fungal infection of the scalp, involving both the skin and hair. It is
also known as scalp ringworm. Symptoms of tinea capitis include hair loss, dry scaly
areas, redness, and itch. Tinea barbae is essentially the same condition involving
the beard area.

Who does tinea capitis affect?

Tinea capitis most commonly affects children between the ages of 3 and 14. But
tinea capitis occurs in adults as well. It's especially common in people with
weakened immune systems.

How common is tinea capitis?

Tinea capitis is a common condition primary care providers and dermatologists see.
Diagnosis of the infection happens all over the world. It’s most common in hot,
humid areas such as Central America, Southeast Asia and Africa.

Tinea capitis may affect all or part of your child’s scalp. Symptoms may
include:

 Swollen red patches.

 Dry, scaly rashes.
 Severe itchiness.
 Patches of hair loss (alopecia).
  Flaking scalp that resembles dandruff.
 Low fever.
 Swollen lymph nodes.

“Tinea Capitis: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic, 3 Mar. 2022,
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22449-tinea-capitis.
Mitchell, Gus . “Tinea Capitis | DermNet NZ.” Dermnetnz.org, Sept. 2020,
dermnetnz.org/topics/tinea-capitis.

G) Tinea barbae affects facial hair

What is tinea barbae?

Tinea barbae is the name used for infection of the beard and moustache areas of
the face with a dermatophyte fungus. It is less common than tinea capitis and
generally affects only adult men.

 The cause of tinea barbae is most often a zoophilic (animal) fungus:

 T. verrucosum (originating from cattle)
 T. mentagrophytes var. equinum (originating from horses)
 Tinea barbae is usually due to infection of coarse facial hair with an ectothrix
pattern (spores on the outside). In ectothrix infections, the fungal filaments
(hyphae) and spores (arthroconidia) cover the outside of the hair.

Clinical features of tinea barbae

• Tinea barbae most often affects farmers and is due to direct contact with an
infected animal. It is rarely passed from one person to another.

• Tinea barbae is usually very inflamed with red lumpy areas, pustules and crusting
around the hairs (kerion). The hairs can be pulled out easily. Surprisingly, it is not
excessively itchy or painful.

What are the symptoms of tinea barbae?

Tinea barbae causes red, ring-shaped rashes on the outer layer of your skin
(epidermis). The rash may be itchy, but it isn’t painful.
This rash may appear on the:

 Cheeks.
 Chin.
 Neck.
 Upper lip (mustache area).

“Tinea Barbae (Fungal Infection of the Beard) | DermNet NZ.” Dermnetnz.org,

2003, dermnetnz.org/topics/tinea-barbae.
“Tinea Barbae (Beard Ringworm): Symptoms, Causes, Treatment.” Cleveland
Clinic, 22 July 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23525-tinea-
barbae.

H) Tinea faciei (face fungus) affects the face

What is Tinea Face?

Tinea face, commonly known as facial ringworm, is a common fungal infection of the
superficial skin of the face. Facial ringworm may be spread by direct contact with
infected people, infected animals, contaminated objects (such as towels), or the soil.

In children and most women, facial ringworm can appear on any part of the face. In
men and in women who have dark, course hair on their face, it is known as tinea
barbae (beard ringworm) when the infection occurs on the bearded part of the face.

Who gets tinea capitis?

Facial ringworm may occur in people of any age, race / ethnicity, or sex. However, it
is more common in people who live in warm, humid climates. In addition, it is most
frequently seen in adults aged 20-40.

Signs & Symptoms

The most common locations for facial ringworm include the

 Cheeks.
 Nose.

 Around the eye.

 Chin.

 Forehead.

Facial ringworm appears as one or more scaly plaques (raised areas of skin larger
than a thumbnail) of any size. In lighter skin colors, the border can be pink or red,
whereas in darker skin colors, it can be dark red, purple, brown, or grayish. The
border of the affected skin may be bumpy and may contain papules (small, solid
bumps), vesicles (fluid-filled bumps), or crust. Often, the center of the lesion has
normal-appearing skin with a ring-shaped edge, leading to the nickname “ringworm,”
even though it is not caused by a worm.

“Tinea Faciei (Ringworm on Face): Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment.” Skinsight,

16 Aug. 2022, skinsight.com/skin-conditions/tinea-faciei-ringworm-of-face/.
Accessed 23 Mar. 2024.
“Tinea Faciei | DermNet.” Dermnetnz.org, 2003, dermnetnz.org/topics/tinea-faciei.

i) Tinea versicolor or Pityriasis versicolor

What is pityriasis versicolor?

• Pityriasis versicolor is a common yeast infection of the skin, in which flaky

discolored patches appear on the chest and back.

• The term pityriasis is used to describe skin conditions in which the scale appears
similar to bran. The multiple colors of pityriasis versicolor give rise to the second part
of the name, versicolor. Pityriasis versicolor is sometimes called tinea versicolor,
although the term tinea should strictly be used for dermatophyte fungus infections.

Who gets pityriasis versicolor?

• Pityriasis versicolor most frequently affects young adults and is slightly more
common in men than in women. It can also affect children, adolescents, and older
adults.

• Pityriasis versicolor is more common in hot, humid climates than in cool, dry
climates. It often affects people who perspire heavily. It may clear in the winter
months and recur each summer.

• Although it is not considered infectious in the conventional sense, pityriasis

versicolor sometimes affects more than one member of a family.

What is the cause of pityriasis versicolor?

Pityriasis versicolor is caused by mycelial growth of fungi of the genus Malassezia.

Malassezia are part of the normal skin microbiota (microorganisms found on normal
skin). They are dependent on lipid for survival. Fourteen different species of
malassezia have been identified.

Oakley, Amanda . “Pityriasis Versicolor | DermNet NZ.” Dermnetnz.org, Sept.

2014, dermnetnz.org/topics/pityriasis-versicolor.

j) Tinea nigra

What is tinea nigra?

Tinea nigra is a mould infection of the skin of the palm or sole presenting
as persistent brown or black patches.

Who gets tinea nigra?

Tinea nigra is most common in tropical regions and often infects those with a
tendency to excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis).

What are the clinical features of tinea nigra?

Tinea nigra presents as unilateral or asymmetrical brown or black patches on the

palms or soles. They are slightly scaly and do not itch or sting. The patches slowly
enlarge. Dermoscopy can help distinguish tinea nigra from other brown-black
skin lesions.

Tinea nigra | DermNet. (n.d.). Dermnetnz.org. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/tinea-

nigra