“The infection in humans has already been documented, but it is very rare and usually occurs after contact with sick farm animals or wild animals. But none of the patients in Lyon or Barcelona had come into contact with animals or traveled to tropical areas before reporting symptoms,” pointed out the British newspaper The Sun.
A total of 25 infected people were confirmed – in addition to Barcelona and Lyon, also in Paris and other French cities: Bordeaux, Saint-Étienne and Annecy. Doctors in Berlin also pointed out the possible occurrence of the disease with regard to the recorded symptoms. One case each was also reported in Italy and Turkey in recent days.
At least for the cases in France and Spain, the bacterial samples taken show similarity, which indicates a connection between the cases and a possible transmission between people, which has not yet been documented. According to the CDC report, the bacteria also show differences from the previously known species Dermatophilus congolensis and could potentially be a completely new species.
“The patients are gay men who developed the rash after having sex with other men,” writes The Sun, noting that some of those infected had visited saunas and other places sought after in the community for sex a week before symptoms appeared.
“A moist environment may have promoted the release and resistance of infectious zoospores of the bacterium Dermatophilus. Indirect transmission may have occurred through contaminated surfaces. However, based on the anatomical distribution of skin lesions, direct skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity is likely to be the main route of transmission,” states the CDC in its report on the Barcelona cases.
“All these cases had a mild course and resolved easily without complications. Most patients responded well to short-term treatment with commonly used antibiotics,” the report adds.
Dermatophilosis mainly affects horses in domestic conditions. “In tropical and subtropical regions, the disease affects cattle, sheep and, for example, camels. It is also described in dogs, cats and rabbits. In addition to mammals, it also affects reptiles. The bacterium is bound to the skin of the host, its ability to survive in the environment is small. The disease appears in humid weather,” the State Veterinary Institute in Jihlava described the spread of the disease a few years ago.
