OUTBREAK OF TINEA-CAPITIS CAUSED BY MICROSPORUM-FERRUGINEUM IN THAILAND

There was an outbreak of Tinea capitis at the Pak-kred Home for Mental ly and Physically Handicapped Babies, Bangkok, Thailand in 1993. One h undred and thirty-eight cases were diagnosed as tinea capitis based on clinical signs and positive laboratory investigations. The results of Wood's light examination, KOH preparation and fungal culture were pos itive in 89.9, 75.9 and 27.4% respectively. The non-inflammatory form had a higher rate of positive KOH and culture than in the inflammatory form. Microsporum ferrugineum was the major pathogen (66.7%) and most of its infections (80.4%) caused a non-inflammatory type of tinea cap itis. Griseofulvin, in a dosage of 10-15 mg/kg/day and selenium sulfid e shampoos, yielded an 84.8% cure rate within 14.9 weeks. No recurrenc e or obvious adverse reactions were observed.