Nannizzia gypsea. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Abstract A description is provided for Nannizzia gypsea. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Recorded only from man (but see NOTES). Guinea-pigs have been experimentally infected. DISEASE: Ringworm (dermatophytosis, tinea). Nannizzia gypsea is apparently widespread in soil and only rarely pathogenic. The scalp (tinea capitis) and glabrous skin (tinea corporis) may be infected. Skin lesions are inflammatory, but details of only two scalp infections are known. In both the lesions were inflammatory; in one favus-like crusts were also found and in the other hair invasion was of the large-spored ectothrix type. In experimental inoculations of guineapigs (Rdzanek, pers. comm.) N. gypsea was slightly more virulent than N. incurvata and N. fulva, the reaction varying from negative to strongly inflammatory, a few ectothrix hyphae breaking up into arthrospores were seen on some hairs, and infected hairs did not fluoresce under Wood's light. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Asia (Japan), Australasia and Oceania (Australia (New South Wales), New Zealand, Raratonga, Cook Island), Europe (France, Great Britain, Italy); North America (Tenn.). Probably of world-wide distribution in the soil.