title: Asymptomatic dermatophyte scalp carriage in school children in Adana, Turkey.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic dermatophyte scalp carriage and symptomatic tinea capitis in Adana Province, Cukurova region, Turkey. For this purpose, a screening study was performed in five schools, between January 2004 and May 2005, covering a total of 5143 children with 2740 (53.3%) boys and 2403 (46.7%) girls, aged 7-14 years (9.6 +/- 2.0). The diagnosis was made using the cotton swab method with inoculation onto Sabouraud glucose agar amended with cycloheximide, chloramphenicol and gentamicin. Among 10 (0.2%) cases, six asymptomatic carriers (mean age 10.7 +/- 2.3) and four symptomatic cases (mean age 8.3 +/- 0.5) were detected, all of whom were boys and had immigrated from the south-eastern and eastern region of Anatolia, Turkey. The mean age differences were found to be statistically significant (Mann-Whitney U=3.000, P=0.046). Boys were found to be more prone to asymptomatic carriage (P=0.033), but not tinea capitis (P>0.05). Zoophilic dermatophytes, namely Microsporum canis (40%) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes (40%) were the most commonly isolated species, followed by anthropophilic Trichophyton tonsurans (10%), while no causative agent was detected in a case (10%) with tinea capitis superficialis. Scalp cultures were found to be dermatophyte-negative after 3- to 8-month follow-up in cases with asymptomatic carriage. As a conclusion, the prevalence of asymptomatic carrier state was similar with the prevalence of symptomatic cases, and we found a predominance of zoophilic species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cukurova, Adana, Turkey. milkit@mail.cu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Macit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ilkit
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Demirhindi
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yetgin
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ates
authors.forename: Aygül
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turaç-Biçer
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yula
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003883:Arthrodermataceae / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012535:Scalp / Q000382:microbiology*; D014006:Tinea Capitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology