Occurrence of dermatomycoses and in-vitro therapeutic efficacy of three antifungal drugs on the growth of Epidermophyton floccosum.

The occurrence of dermatomycoses and the in-vitro therapeutic efficacy of some antifungal agents on dermatomycotic organisms were investigated. Of the 550 primary school children screened, the incidence was one hundred (18%), 70 were males (representing 20% of the males screened) and 30 females (15% of the females sampled). The differences between male and female prevalence were insignificant. Three species of dermatophytes were isolated and identified. These were Microsporum canis, Trichophyton tonsurans and Epidermophyton floccosum. The antifungal agents tested on E. floccosum were griseofulvin, terbinafine and ketoconazole. They produced different sized zones of inhibition against the growth of E. floccosum. Griseofulvin exhibited a 50% inhibition of growth on E. floccosum at 63.00 mg/L. Terbinafine on the other hand exhibited varying levels of inhibition of growth at varying concentrations, at 0.07 mg/L, terbinafine achieved 46% inhibition of growth on E. floccosum. The drug achieved 100% inhibition of growth on the isolate at 61.81 mg/L. In the case of ketoconazole, 50% inhibition of growth was achieved at 100 mg/L while 100% inhibition of growth was achieved at 200 mg/L. The antifungal effects of the three drugs were confirmed by broth dilution tests where terbinafine was found to be fungistatic on the growth of E. floccosum at concentrations ranging from 0.013-1.700 mg/L and was fungicidal at concentrations ranging from 0.027-1.700 mg/L. Ketoconazole was found to inhibit the growth of E. floccosum at 0.003-1.700 mg/L and was fungicidal at concentrations ranging from 0.027-1.700 mg/L. It however did not succeed in killing the isolate under the same range of concentrations. Griseofulvin exhibited fungistatic effects on the growth of E. floccusum at 0.013-1.700 mg/L. In conclusion, ketoconazole and griseofulvin were found to be fungistatic and not fungicidal while terbinafine was both fungistatic and fungicidal on the pathogen. Terbinafine was found to be the most effective drug in inhibiting E. floccosum.