A fungal infection that is trapping Indians quietly

It started as a small, itchy red ring for Roshan. A quick trip to a local chemist for a ‘strong’ cream seemed to do the trick. But within three weeks, Roshan’s wife found a similar patch on her waist. His teenage son was the next to develop lesions on his thighs. Soon, the entire family was causssght in a relentless loop of scratching and buying various kinds of ointments for the skin to heal. But every time they thought they were cured, the patches returned.

“This is no longer the ringworm we knew a decade ago,” says Dr Ananta Khurana, professor of dermatology at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi. “In centres with advanced diagnostic facilities, 60-70% of ringworm infections are now confirmed to be Trichophyton indotineae, a fungus species uniquely resilient to standard treatments. And because it is difficult to identify without advanced lab tests, its true scale is likely underestimated. But the reality on the ground is clear: it is everywhere.”