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Microsporum canis : Report of a primary school outbreak
Author(s) -
Grills Claire E,
Bryan Paul L,
O'Moore Eammon,
Venning Vanessa A
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
australasian journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.67
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1440-0960
pISSN - 0004-8380
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-0960.2007.00342.x
Subject(s) - microsporum canis , medicine , griseofulvin , outbreak , tinea capitis , terbinafine , ketoconazole , microsporum , shampoo , canis , dermatology , transmission (telecommunications) , pediatrics , itraconazole , trichophyton , antifungal , virology , pathology , biology , paleontology , electrical engineering , engineering
SUMMARY Microsporum canis is the causative organism in less than 10% of all tinea capitis infections in the UK. Transmission is generally via contact with an infected family pet and there are only rare reports of case clustering. This article describes an outbreak of M. canis in a primary school classroom demonstrating human‐to‐human spread from an index case who was presumed to have acquired the infection prior to arriving in the UK. There was no suggestion of clinical improvement following 4 weeks of oral terbinafine 125 mg daily and treatment was changed to griseofulvin. The Health Protection team screened class members and confirmed cases (either clinically or mycologically) were also treated with griseofulvin 10–20 mg/kg/day for 10 weeks. Classmates and siblings of classmates were recommended to use selenium sulphide or ketoconazole‐containing shampoo twice weekly.