Posted by Phil Calvert on March 31, 2001 at 17:02:17:
In Reply to: Ringworm on people. posted by David Kangas on March 30, 2001 at 21:54:54:
It appears that the answer is "yes." By the way, because of the name, a lot of people assume that ringworm has something to do with worms. It does not-- it is a fungus.
Here are some relevant Web pages:
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/ceps/petcolumns/ringworm.html
http://www.astdhpphe.org/infect/ringworm.html
Here's an article from Kansas State University I found that says a weak immune system is a factor:
RINGWORM: A FUNGUS YOU DON'T ALWAYS CATCH FROM YOUR CAT
MANHATTAN -- A low immune system makes humans and cats more susceptible to ringworm, says Dr. William Fortney, Kansas State University veterinarian.
Ringworm, which is actually a fungus and not a worm, is predominately a cat disease. There are many kinds of ringworm, but only one is shared between humans and cats. Humans can also get other kinds of ringworm from the environment.
Fortney says it is generally a young animal disease because of their low immune system. A strong immune system prevents contraction of ringworm, or at least limits it so not much treatment is needed if the fungus is contracted.
Ringworms are dermatophytes, which means they like skin and don't go any further than that. In cats, ringworm will cause a crusty, circular lesion and the hair falls out. The lesion doesn't have to be circular and there are other things that cause circular lesions. In humans, ringworm is an itchy lesion, and is usually more severe in children than adults. The treatment for mild cases is a topical medication, but internal medicine is needed for more advanced cases.
The fungus is transferred from cats to humans by infected hairs. Humans can be infected just by touching the hairs in the environment. The infectious spores can remain in the environment for up to 18 months. A shampoo should disinfect the hair on the cat, and a thorough vacuuming should get rid of infected hairs in the environment. Long haired cats might have to be clipped to get rid of the fungus.
Ringworm is a serious problem in places with multiple cats. Until a vaccination is created, which Fortney says researchers are working on, the best prevention is a sanitary environment and aggressive treatment of all ringworm cases, but this still does not guarantee a ringworm-free environment.
Fortney specializes in small animal veterinary medicine and his research on controlling dermatophytes in catteries was published as a chapter in the book "Population Medicine."
March 1994
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