Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII (TMVII), a type of ringworm that can resemble eczema, has been identified in the United States for the first time as a highly contagious and rare sexually transmitted fungal infection.
The case was detailed by the medical journal JAMA Dermatology on Wednesday, June 5. It involved a man in his 30s from New York City who developed the infection on his limbs, buttocks, and genitals after traveling to England, Greece, and California. Despite having multiple sexual partners during his travels, none reported similar skin issues.
Treatment for the man took over four months and required antifungal medications, according to NBC News.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that 13 cases of TMVII were reported in France in 2023, with 12 of these cases involving men who had sexual contact with other men. While the infection is not fatal, it can cause permanent scarring, as highlighted by JAMA Dermatology.
A press release from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine emphasized that TMVII can resemble eczema due to its circular pattern, which might lead to misdiagnosis and untreated cases for months. The rashes can spread easily across various body parts, such as the face and limbs (ringworm), groin (jock itch), and feet (athlete’s foot).
Dr. Avrom Caplan, an assistant professor of dermatology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, advises public awareness of these infections but reassures that there is no evidence of widespread occurrence.
The Quran - Chapter Ar-Rahman : 12
and grain with husks, and aromatic plants.
وَالْحَبُّ ذُو الْعَصْفِ
(and the grain having chaff, ....55:12). The word حَبُّ habb means grain, as for instance 'wheat', 'gram', 'rice', 'a kind of vetch', 'lentil' and so on.
The word عَصْفِ ` asf is the outer cover of some type of grains, like rice or wheat husk, which Allah creates with His power and consummate wisdom. Man's attention is drawn to the fact that each grain of the food he eats several times a day has been created by Allah, out of His unbounded grace and beneficence, from soil and water in inconceivably wonderful ways.
He protected every grain against insects with the outer cover until maturity, so that it was prepared as a morsel of food. The current verse, thus, briefly points to all those natural things that are so essential for the physical development of man.
The mention of ` asf [ husk ] is to remind that it is the fodder for your animals. This is another bounty of Allah because man needs the milk of the animals for nourishment.
Furthermore, animals are used as a means of transportation to convey human beings from place to place as well as to carry load, cargo and luggage.
وَالرَّيْحَانُ (...and fragrant flowers....55:12). The popular meaning of the word رَّيْحَانُ raihan is fragrance or fragrant plant or sweet-scented plants. Ibn Zaid has interpreted the word thus in the current verse.
Allah has produced a variety of fragrances and sweet-smelling flowers on plants and trees. Sometimes the word raihan is used in the sense of livelihood and sustenance.
It is said in Arabic: خَرَجتُ اَطلُبَ رَیحَانَ اللہِ (I came out looking for sustenance provided by Allah.) Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ interprets it in this strain.
