Sexually Transmitted Ringworm Hits Minnesota in ’Largest Known Outbreak’

NEED TO KNOW

• Minnesota health officials are warning of the “largest known outbreak” of sexually transmitted ringworm in the area

• More than 30 people have been sickened in the outbreak of Trichophyton mentagrophytes genotype VII (TMVII)

• Although it’s known as “ringworm,” TMVII is caused by a fungus that’s spread through skin-to-skin contact

More than 30 people have been sickened in what health experts call the “largest known outbreak” of an outbreak of sexually transmitted ringworm in Minnesota.

The state’s health department issued an advisory on Feb. 11 about a surge in cases of the newly discovered Trichophyton mentagrophytes genotype VII (TMVII), which spreads through sexual contact and causes “itchy, painful, and/or persistent genital, perianal, buttock or abdominal skin lesions.”

Although it’s known as “ringworm,” it’s not caused by a worm, but rather, but a drug-resistant fungus. Treatment of TMVII can take up to 12 weeks, health officials said. This type of ringworm was first discovered in the U.S. in June 2025, when a man in New York was diagnosed with the infection.

Since then state officials say, “more than 30 confirmed or suspected cases have been reported in the metro area, resulting in the largest known outbreak of TMVII in the United States.”

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control describes the infection as “an emerging fungus” that was originally  “described in travelers returning from Thailand after sexual contact with sex workers.” It’s since been documented in China and in Europe, and is primarily associated with men who have sex with men.

Those who are infected are urged to avoid sexual contact, sharing personal items or clothing — and to wash and dry their clothing on high heat, which can kill the spores that may be in the fabric.  The Minnesota health department advises that the rash — which is round and sometimes covered with pimples or bumps — can be mistaken for other skin conditions, such as eczema, or psoriasis.

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