Should you worry a little more when you’re single? A disease hitherto known almost exclusively to veterinarians is now intriguing specialists. Called dermatophilosis, or sometimes “mud itch” in animals, this bacterial infection has just been identified in several men in France and Spain… having had no contact with horses, cows or other animals usually carrying the bacteria. Researchers now suspect transmission during close sexual contact.
An animal disease that seems to be changing face
Dermatophilosis is a skin infection caused by a bacteria called
Dermatophilus congolensis. For over a century, it has been primarily observed in livestock, including horses, cattle, sheep and goats.
Until recently, the rare human cases mainly concerned people working in contact with infected animals, such as breeders or veterinarians.
But new cases described in Barcelona, Paris and Lyon surprised doctors. Several patients developed characteristic lesions without any known contact with animals. In a study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseasesresearchers report in particular nine French cases, including seven patients who attended the same gay sauna in Lyon in the days preceding the appearance of symptoms. There are currently around forty who have contracted the infection.
“It is not a real scabies, which is a parasitic disease. Here, we are dealing with a bacterial infection of the skin,” specifies Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of True Medical.
These observations raise the hypothesis of human-to-human transmission during close sexual contact.
Is this the birth of a new STI?
At this stage, experts remain cautious. Dermatophilosis is not officially classified as a sexually transmitted infection (STI). However, the epidemiological and genetic data collected in the different outbreaks suggest that “the bacteria could be transmitted during sexual intercourse or very close skin-to-skin contact.”.
Unlike HIV or chlamydia, it would not be transmission through sexual fluids, but rather through direct contact with the skin.
“Heat, humidity and micro-lesions linked to friction probably favor the passage of the bacteria”explains Dr. Kierzek.
According to him, saunas could constitute a particularly favorable environment for this transmission. “Here again the heat and humidity facilitate the survival of the bacteria and its penetration into the skin.”
What are the symptoms to watch out for?
For the moment, the signs observed in French and Spanish patients mainly concern the skin.
Lesions most often appear on the genitals, in the pubic region, on the buttocks, in the beard or face.
Patients may present:
- Redness;
- Pustules;
- Inflammatory pimples;
- Weeping patches;
- Thick crusts.
One of the most common symptoms is the presence of sometimes severe itching.
On the other hand, the lesions are generally not very painful and the forms described so far remain benign.
What are the risks?
The good news is that dermatophilosis does not appear to cause serious complications in healthy people. The infection is unpleasant and contagious, but remains mainly localized to the skin and progresses favorably when treated quickly.
“We must not give in to excessive concern. The cases described remain rare, limited to the skin and no serious cases have been reported to date”emphasizes Dr. Kierzek.
The main risk is mainly diagnostic: the lesions can worry patients and be confused with other potentially more serious infections. But because it is a bacterial infection, dermatophilosis generally responds well to antibiotics.
How to protect yourself?
Although many questions remain regarding this infection, some precautionary measures can be recommended.
Specialists advise in particular:
- To avoid sexual intercourse in the presence of unexplained skin lesions;
- To consult quickly in the event of the appearance of pimples or scabs on the genitals (whatever the origin of this appearance!);
- To maintain good personal hygiene;
- Limit the sharing of personal items that may be contaminated.
It should also be remembered that condoms, although essential against many STIs, do not completely protect against infections transmitted by simple skin-to-skin contact.
Why you shouldn’t wait before consulting
One of the major issues is that dermatophilosis can resemble many other sexually transmitted diseases or skin infections.
The lesions observed can in particular be confused with:
- Genital herpes;
- Mpox (formerly monkeypox);
- Syphilis;
- Certain bacterial skin infections.
“Faced with pustules or crusts on the genital area, it is impossible to tell the difference with the naked eye. A medical consultation is therefore essential“.