Minnesota confirms outbreak of sexually transmitted fungal infection
Minnesota health officials confirmed an outbreak of a contagious fungal skin infection caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes genotype VII, saying 14 cases have been confirmed and 27 more are suspected after the first case was identified in July 2025, the Minnesota Department of Health said.
The department said the infection causes round, red, irritated rashes that can be itchy and painful. The agency’s alert said the fungus spreads through direct skin-to-skin contact, including sexual activity, and can also travel on contaminated objects and surfaces such as shared towels or communal bathing areas.
The first U.S. case was identified in New York in 2024, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed cases in multiple U.S. cities, the MDH said. In response to reports from people seeking care, the department said it has established enhanced surveillance to identify additional cases.
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Hayden Andrews of UT Southwestern Medical Center told Fox News Digital that TMVII is part of a family of fungi that cause ringworm, jock itch and athlete’s foot, and that the symptoms can resemble eczema. Todd Wills, M.D., a professor of internal medicine at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, told Fox News Digital that TMVII is the only fungal agent currently identified as sexually transmitted and that men who have sex with men and commercial sex workers are among the populations at greater risk.
Wills said diagnosis is often based on the rash’s appearance and its failure to respond to over-the-counter antifungal creams and may require a skin scraping for confirmation. Andrews told Fox News Digital that TMVII frequently requires oral antifungal medication for several weeks but that current treatments appear effective. The MDH advised anyone with symptoms to seek medical care and urged health care providers to report suspected cases for laboratory testing. Doctors quoted by the news outlet recommended avoiding close skin-to-skin contact, not sharing personal items and thoroughly washing linens on high heat to reduce spread.
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