Dermatophyte feet infection among students enrolled in swimming courses at a university pool.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dermatophyte feet infection among students enrolled in swimming courses at a university swimming pool. Tinea pedis infection was determined on two occasions. The first study took place on the first day of classes and the second on day twelve of swimming lessons. Culture and KOH examination of the interdigital skin scrapings of the left foot showed superficial foot infection with dermatophytes or Candida albicans in 13.2% of the students (11/83) in the first study, and in 22.2% of the students (16/72) in the second study. The most common agent of tinea pedis in the first study was Trichophyton rubrum (82%), infections by T. mentagrophytes (9%) and Epidermophyton floccosum (9%) were less common. At that time, no dermatophyte was recovered from any of 30 floor samples taken from the bathroom and pool facilities. In the second study the following dermatophytes were isolated from the student's feet: T. mentagrophytes (70.6%), T. rubrum (17.6%) and Candida albicans (11.8%). On this occasion T. mentagrophytes was recovered from 5 out of 30 floor samples. It is possible that the frequency of the use of the pool facilities may influence the prevalence of tinea pedis as well as the etiological agent involved in this disease.