Dermatophytes and Dermatophytic Infections Worldwide

Dermatophytoses are a common public health problem with high prevalence. The etiological agents of dermatophytoses, termed dermatophytes, change with geography and socioeconomic status. Trichophyton rubrum is the predominant species for skin and nail infections followed by Trichophyton mentagrophytes/Trichophyton interdigitale complex. However, we notice a T. rubrum to T. mentagrophytes shift in some parts of Iran, India, and Australia. The causative agents of Tinea capitis changed most greatly with obvious geography co-relation and time, with Microsporum canis, Trichophyton tonsurans, and Trichophyton violaceum present as the predominant dermatophytes in different regions. In this chapter, we provide a brief introduction of dermatophytes history and review their present epidemiology worldwide by continents and related diseases. The aim is to get a comprehensive understanding of prevailing geographic distribution of these pathogens, and prospect the trends of future changes in their occurrence and prevalence.