An emerging fungal infection in Hungary has drawn attention after a new international study found that Trichophyton indotineae, a fungus capable of causing severe and sometimes drug-resistant skin infections, is being detected increasingly often around the world. The pathogen has already been identified in Hungary, although current evidence does not suggest a widespread Hungarian outbreak.
According to HVG, the fungus is behind a form of ringworm, or tinea, that has become a growing concern because infections can be more extensive and harder to treat than ordinary cases.
Despite its English name, ringworm has nothing to do with worms. It is a fungal skin infection caused by dermatophytes and typically produces an itchy, red or scaly rash, often with a circular or ring-like appearance. The infection can spread through direct skin contact or via contaminated objects and surfaces, including shared towels and shower areas.
Symptoms to watch for
Common signs include an itchy, red or scaly rash, often with a ring-shaped border. T. indotineae infections can sometimes be more extensive than ordinary ringworm and may affect large areas of skin.
When to see a doctor: seek medical advice if the rash is severe, spreading, does not improve with treatment, or appears after recent travel or contact with someone with a persistent fungal infection. Avoid using steroid creams on a suspected fungal rash unless advised by a doctor, as they can make the infection harder to recognise and treat.
Fungal infection in Hungary already confirmed
Hungary recorded its first scientifically described case of T. indotineae in 2025. Researchers at the University of Debrecen reported the infection in a man in his twenties who had travelled to a region where the pathogen was already endemic. Laboratory testing, including whole-genome sequencing, confirmed the diagnosis.
There is, however, an important distinction between that case and the broader concern surrounding the fungus.
The Hungarian isolate was susceptible to the antifungal drugs tested, including terbinafine, and the patient responded well to topical treatment. T. indotineae as a species is nevertheless frequently associated with resistance to terbinafine, one of the drugs commonly used against fungal skin infections.
This means the presence of the fungus in Hungary should not be interpreted as evidence that an untreatable infection is now spreading widely across the country.
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Global detections are rising sharply
The latest research, published in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, examined laboratory identification data collected between 2022 and 2025.
Researchers analysed more than 1.6 million fungal spectra submitted by laboratories in 54 countries. T. indotineae was identified in data submitted from 29 countries, with the overwhelming majority of detections coming from Europe – although the authors stressed that this was partly because European laboratories were heavily represented in the surveillance network.
The proportion of T. indotineae detections within the closely related T. mentagrophytes complex nearly tripled during the study period, rising from 4.6% in 2022 to 13.1% in 2025. The number of participating centres detecting the fungus also increased substantially.
The researchers cautioned that their data do not show how many individual people have been infected. The figures are based on laboratory spectra rather than confirmed patient numbers, meaning they should primarily be viewed as evidence that the pathogen is being detected across an expanding geographical area.
Why doctors are concerned
T. indotineae first attracted significant attention in South Asia, particularly India, where dermatologists began reporting large numbers of extensive and difficult-to-treat fungal infections. It has since been reported across Europe, North America, South America and other regions.
The concern is resistance. Some strains carry mutations that make terbinafine less effective, potentially requiring different drugs or longer courses of treatment. The US CDC describes T. indotineae as an emerging public-health concern because infections can cover large areas of the body and may be difficult to treat.
International travel is one route through which infections can reach new countries, but researchers have also documented cases without recent travel history in parts of Europe, suggesting that local transmission can become established. The new study cites Germany as one country where infections among patients without recent travel have increasingly been recorded.
What people in Hungary should know
For most people, the discovery does not mean there is reason for alarm. Ordinary ringworm remains a common and generally treatable fungal infection.
However, the CDC advises seeking medical attention when a suspected ringworm infection is unusually severe or widespread, fails to improve with treatment, or follows contact with someone known to have a serious infection. People should also tell their doctor about recent travel. Steroid creams should not be used on suspected ringworm without medical advice, as they can worsen fungal infections and make diagnosis more difficult.
For Hungary, the main significance of the latest findings is therefore surveillance rather than evidence of an epidemic. The fungus has crossed the country’s borders before, and the international data suggest that European healthcare systems may encounter it increasingly often.
As T. indotineae continues to spread internationally, accurate diagnosis and monitoring will be crucial – especially because the infection can look similar to more ordinary forms of ringworm while potentially responding very differently to treatment.
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