Although this fungus is not life-threatening, its treatment is a complex process that requires a prolonged hospital stay—sometimes for weeks or even months.
Professor Darius Armstrong-James from Imperial College London noted: "This is becoming a serious problem in the UK."
Data presented at the ESCAIDE conference in Poland in November 2025 indicated that the number of confirmed cases of Trichophyton indotineae infection in the UK and Ireland has increased more than fivefold over the past three years—from 44 to 258 cases. The fungus, first identified in India in 2014, has mutated and become resistant to standard antifungal medications. Treatment is conducted using itraconazole, which can cause serious toxic side effects and negatively impact the liver and heart.
Photo: thesun.co.uk.
David Denning, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Manchester, explained that Trichophyton indotineae causes unpleasant itchy red rashes, mainly in the groin area, on the thighs, and buttocks. Without proper treatment, the fungus can spread to other parts of the body, including the face, leading to inflammation and increased skin vulnerability to infections, contributing to the formation of persistent scars.
Warning, photo!
Photo: thesun.co.uk.
Photo: thesun.co.uk.
CollapseThe disease is transmitted from person to person and can be difficult to diagnose, as its symptoms are often confused with eczema or psoriasis. It is also important to note that patients often seek medical help too late—on average, several weeks after the first rashes appear. The highest number of infections has been recorded among people of South Asian descent, but according to Denning, the spread of this fungus among other population groups is only a matter of time.
