Epidemiology of Dermatophytes in Belgium: A 5 Years’survey

Abstract Dermatophytes are among the most common
fungal agents causing superficial skin infections
worldwide. Epidemiology of these infections is evolving
and variable in every country. This report presents
the Belgian epidemiological data regarding the distribution
of dermatophytes species isolated by the two
national reference centers for mycosis during a period
of 5 years (2012–2016). Trichophyton rubrum was the
most frequently isolated species, considering all
sampling sites (60.3% on average between 2012 and
2016). More precisely, this dermatophyte was the
major agent of Tinea unguium and Tinea corporis
during this period, followed by species of the
Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex. Moreover,
Microsporum audouinii was the main etiological
agent of Tinea capitis (TC) with a frequency of
52.5% on average between 2012 and 2016. Other
African dermatophytes species such as Trichophyton
soudanense and Trichophyton violaceum were also
agents of TC with a respective prevalence of 11.6%
and 11.5% on average. This study highlights a
different dermatophyte distribution in Belgium in
comparison with other European countries.