Ecology and transmission of<i>Microsporum gypseum</i>from soil to man

Abstract

Human infections with Microsporum gypseum in Slovakia are concentrated in the region of 2 large rivers where the soil is mainly alluvial and in those warm regions of up to 200 m above sea-level with an average air-temperature of 9°C. and an average rainfall of 650 mm or less. Within these regions it was found that cultivated fertile soils are the main reservoir. Persons of school age (up to 14 years) were affected in 52·4% of cases; 28·6% were adult farmers and gardeners. Infections occurred most frequently during August – November and there was a marked localization on unprotected parts of the body. M. gypseum was isolated from only 2·1% of 1387 clinically normal small mammals. These observations confirm that the reservoir of M. gypseum infection is the soil.