Athlete's Foot
Athlete's foot or tinea pedi is a parasitic fungal infection of the epidermis of the foot. It is typically caused by a mol (but in some cases a yeast) that grows on the surface of the skin and then grows into the living skin tissue itself, causing the infection. It usually occurs between the toes, but in severely lasting cases may appear as an extensive "moccasin" pattern on the bottom and sides of the foot. The malady more commonly affects males than female. Tinea pedis is estimated to be the second most common skin disease in the United States, after acn.
The body normally hosts a variety of saprotrophic microorganisms that rapidly cause infection. Athlete's foot is a layman's description of a skin fungal infection. It may be associated with several different fungi, including yeasts. The most common fungi causing tinea pedis are Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. Fungal infections of the skin are called dermatophytosis. Dermatophytes may be spread from other humans (anthropophilic), animals (zoophilic) or may come from the soil (geophilic). Anthropophillic dermatophytes are restricted to human hosts and produce a mild, chronic inflammation. Zoophilic organisms are found primarily in animals and cause marked inflammatory reactions in humans who have contact with infected cats, dogs, cattle, horses, birds, or other animals. Geophilic species are usually recovered from the soil but occasionally infect humans and animals. They cause a marked inflammatory reaction, which limits the spread of the infection and may lead to a spontaneous cure but may also leave scars. Infections or infestations occur when dermatophytes grow and multiply in the skin.
Transmission from person to person
Athlete's foot is caused by a parasitic fungus and is a communicable diseas. It is typically transmitte[3[6] in moist environments where people walk barefoot, such as showers, bath houses, and locker rooms. It can also be transmitted by sharing footwear with an infected person, or less commonly, by sharing towels with an infected person.
Transmission to other parts of the body
The various parasitic fungi that cause athlete's foot can also cause skin infections on other areas of the body, most often under toenails (Onychomycosis) or on the groin (jock itch).