Prevalence of dermatophytosis in junior secondary schoolchildren in Ogun State, Nigeria.

A total of 2772 randomly selected junior secondary school pupils (aged 8-14) from 60 schools were examined for dermatophytic infections by direct microscopy and culture-based laboratory diagnostic methods. Of these, 641 (23.21%) had dermatophytosis. Out of these, 376 (13.56%) were male while 265 (9.56%) were female. Aetiological agents identified with infection were Microsporum canis (30.19%), Microsporum audouinii (32.92%), Trichophyton interdigitale (14.37%), Trichophyton soudanense (9.73%) and Trichophyton tonsurans (12.05%). Most of the dermatophytes encountered were anthropophilic species. Microsporum canis was the only zoophilic dermatophyte. Differences were not observed in infection pattern for all the different geo-political zones that make up the state. The head and the skin of the students were more frequently infected than the nails and toes. Infection frequency increased steadily up to age 11 after which it drastically decreased.