Epidemiological study of tinea capitis in schoolchildren in the Nablus area (West Bank)

Abstract

A study of tinea capitis was carried out during the period January-June 1996 in 7525 primary schoolchildren aged 6-14 years comprising 4050 boys and 3475 girls in the Nablus district in the Palestinian area. Fourteen primary schools located in rural, urban and refugee camp areas were surveyed in this study. Seventy-five (1.0%) mycologically proven cases of tinea capitis were detected. The incidence was higher in schools in rural areas (1.9%) than in refugee camps (1.1%) or urban areas (0.4%). Also, the incidence was higher in young children (1.4%) aged 6-10 years than in older children (0.5%) aged 10-14 years. Boys 52 (1.3%) were more commonly affected than girls 23 (0.7%). Higher disease incidence was found to be correlated with larger family and class sizes. Trichophyton violaceum was the most common aetiological agent (82.7%) followed by Microsporum canis (16%) and Trichophyton schoenleinii (1.3%). The findings are discussed in relation to the children's different socioeconomic and hygienic backgrounds. A mycological investigation carried out on 117 tinea capitis cases at a clinic in the area under study showed similar results to those of the school survey.

Prevalence of skin diseases in rural areas of Assiut Governorate, Upper Egypt

“…It was predominant in the youngest age‐group, 0–9 years (2.18%), followed by the 10–19‐year age group (0.87%). Relatively comparable findings (with respect to age‐group variations) were reported in Qatar 23 and in the Nablus area (Palestine) 24 . In tropical Africa, higher rates were reported in Nigerian school children (10.8%) 25…”

Prevalence of tinea capitis as well as of asymptomatic carriers in school children in Nablus area (Palestine)

“…However, a comparison of the results on etiological agents of tinea capitis from the current work with those obtained previously from school children from the same area [20, 21], revealed that the anthropophilic dermatophyte T . violaceum continues to be the predominant etiological agent of tinea capitis in the Nablus district (49.8% of total isolates in 1986, 72.6% in 1996, and 82.6% in the present study).…”

“…[23] and Ali‐Shtayeh et al. [20], who reported a significant rise in the incidence of infections due toanthropophilic dermatophytes and decreasing importance of zoophilic dermatophytes. The rise of anhropophilic fungi in school children in the study area means that there has been a trend toward more infections transmissible among children, with T .…”

Dermatophytosis due to Trichophyton violaceum in Tuscany from 1985 to 1997

“…In many of these countries, schoolchildren and mothers are healthy carriers. The pathogen is common in countries such as Pakistan [9], Kuwait [10], Jordan [11, 12], Saudi Arabia [13, 14] and Turkey [15, 16], and is also reported from Iran [17] and India [18]. In the last 10 years, T. violaceum has reappeared in industrialized countries receiving immigrants from countries in which the fungus is endemic.…”