The Natural Course of Trichophyton Tonsurans Carriage and Infection: A Molecular and Biochemical Evaluation

Tinea capitis is an overwhelmingly prevalent disease of childhood estimated to be present in approximately 1 in 20 children at any point in time with an equal number of children serving as carriers of the fungal pathogen. Despite the widespread nature of the disease, the natural course of the infection remains incompletely described. The study will be driven by the following hypothesis: the type of genotypic and phenotypic variant to which a child is exposed accounts for the presentation status observed in Trichophyton tonsurans infection. A fungal scalp culture will be acquired from all participants using a brush culture technique. Samples will be collected once a month over a two year time period.