Trichophyton rubrum on your skin: a safety profile
Low risk(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Trichophyton rubrum is the most common dermatophyte worldwide, responsible for an estimated 69-70% of all dermatophyte infections. It causes tinea pedis (athlete's foot), tinea cruris (jock itch), tinea corporis (ringworm), and tinea unguium (onychomycosis/fungal nail infection). Global prevalence of superficial fungal infections: 20-25% of the world population, making dermatophytosis one of the most common infectious diseases. T. rubrum is an anthropophilic species (human-adapted) that produces minimal inflammatory response compared to zoophilic dermatophytes, allowing chronic, persistent infections. Virulence factors: secreted proteases (keratinases, subtilisins) that degrade keratin in skin, hair, and nails. Infection is superficial (stratum corneum) and does not invade living tissue in immunocompetent hosts — deep dermatophytosis is extremely rare and occurs only in profound immunodeficiency. Treatment: topical azoles or terbinafine for skin infections; oral terbinafine or itraconazole for nail infections (12-week course, 70-80% cure rate). Terbinafine-resistant T. rubrum has been reported but remains uncommon. Economic burden is significant: onychomycosis alone costs >$1 billion/year in the US.
What is trichophyton rubrum?
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Risk for people
Low riskTrichophyton rubrum is the most common dermatophyte worldwide, responsible for an estimated 69-70% of all dermatophyte infections. It causes tinea pedis (athlete's foot), tinea cruris (jock itch), tinea corporis (ringworm), and tinea unguium (onychomycosis/fungal nail infection). Global prevalence of superficial fungal infections: 20-25% of the world population, making dermatophytosis one of the most common infectious diseases. T. rubrum is an anthropophilic species (human-adapted) that produces minimal inflammatory response compared to zoophilic dermatophytes, allowing chronic, persistent infections. Virulence factors: secreted proteases (keratinases, subtilisins) that degrade keratin in skin, hair, and nails. Infection is superficial (stratum corneum) and does not invade living tissue in immunocompetent hosts — deep dermatophytosis is extremely rare and occurs only in profound immunodeficiency. Treatment: topical azoles or terbinafine for skin infections; oral terbinafine or itraconazole for nail infections (12-week course, 70-80% cure rate). Terbinafine-resistant T. rubrum has been reported but remains uncommon. Economic burden is significant: onychomycosis alone costs >$1 billion/year in the US.
Regulatory consensus
1 regulatory bodyhas classified Trichophyton rubrum.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | — | — |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where you encounter trichophyton rubrum
- Human Skin And Nails — Feet (athlete's foot), Toenails (onychomycosis), Groin (jock itch)
- Fomites — Shower floors, Locker rooms, Shared footwear, Nail salons
Frequently asked questions
What products contain trichophyton rubrum?
Trichophyton rubrum appears in: Feet (athlete's foot) (Human skin and nails); Toenails (onychomycosis) (Human skin and nails); Shower floors (Fomites); Locker rooms (Fomites).
See Trichophyton rubrum in the body app
Look up products containing trichophyton rubrum, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in body View raw API dataSources (2)
- PubChem (2026) — database
- ALETHEIA fungi compound batch (2026) — batch_creation
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →