Summary of fungal types identified from 427 patients with tinea pedis and assessment of their awareness of the disease

Objective　The study was conducted to gain insight into the prevailing types of fungus associated with tinea pedis in Hangzhou and to evaluate the patients awareness of this disease. Methods　A total of 427 patients with tinea pedis were epidemiologically investigated, where suspected fungal pathogens were examined under the microscope and cultured; the extent to which they were aware of tinea pedis was surveyed using questionnaire. Results　Among the 427 patients with microscopically confirmed tinea pedis, 302 isolates of trichophyton rubrum were identified, accounting for 70.73%, followed by 67 isolates of trichophyton mentagrophytes that accounted for 15.69%, 32 strains of epidermophyton floccosum and 17 strains of candida albicans, whereas the growth of fungi failed to appear in the other 9 culture sample. In the questionnaire design, the following answers were expected to be given by the patients: tinea pedis is an infectious and dermatologic disease; it is a fungus-caused skin condition; it is distinct from beriberi; it could be pyogenic; it is commonly transmitted through sharing of slippers, footbaths and towels in contact with the foot; profuse perspiration is a precipitant factor; long-term maintenance of proper administration is critical to treating tinea pedis. The proportion of patients that provided the above answers was 64.87%,42.86%,68.62％,27.40％,62.06％,42.39％ and 33.26%, respectively. Conclusion　 Trichophyton rubrum and trichophyton mentagrophytes were found to have been the primary cause of tinea pedis in Hangzhou. Since over half of tinea pedis patients possessed a deficient understanding of the disease, relevant health education should be promoted in clinical practices.