ATHLETES-FOOT - MYCOLOGICAL ETIOLOGY IN MARINE SOLDIERS IN ABIDJAN (COTE-DIVOIRE) - A STUDY OF 200 CASES

The present study was designed to identify athlete's fool fungi in mar ine soldiers in Abidjan. Two hundred samples of soldiers with clinic a thlete's foot were taken. Mycological examination included direct exam ination and seeding on Sabouraud glucose agar with chloramphenicol and on Sabouraud glucose agar with chloramphenicol and cycloheximide. Mos t samples (78.5%) are found positive at direct examen and/or seeding. Strains (n = 115) are isolated including one association of dermatophy te and yeast. Dermatophytes and yeasts represent 85.3 and 14.7% respec tively. Dermatophytes are dominated by Trichophyton mentagrophytes var . interdigitate (76.6%) and Epidermophyton floccosum (7.8%) are the do minant species of dermatophytes, Candida albicans (53.8%) and Trichosp oron sp. (23.5%) are the dominant species of the 17 yeasts isolated. M ycological etiology of athlete's foot in marine soldiers in Abidjan is dominated by T. mentagrophytes var. interdigitate and C. albicans. Si milar results have been found on ivorians soldiers and sportsmen.