There’s a new fungal infection in Washington spreading among men who have sex with men, and uh oh, it’s drug resistant. TMVII, or Trichophyton mentagrophytes genotype, is not life-threatening. But it is going to itch, and, in the absence of treatment, can persist for some time. On your butt and your dick. As the Medical Director for Seattle King County Public Health’s Sexual Health Center, Dr. Matthew Golden, was careful to note, TMVII is not a sexually transmitted infection. It is a sexually transmissible infection. “Most of the cases have anal and genital involvement, which is not so characteristic of most cases of ringworm,” he says. “Contact is how you’re going to get it. So any part of a person’s skin who touches that rash would potentially become infected.” Use your imagination. “There’s definitely been cases of people getting in on their mouths,” Dr. Golden  says. TMVII doesn’t look wildly different from a ringworm lesion, a raised red circle on the skin. The differences are where it shows up and how difficult it is to treat. Topical, over-the-counter creams won’t work. Those who get it will need a prescription for a pill like oral terbinafine, which often needs to be taken for six to 12 weeks, Dr. Golden says. Cases have been reported in New York, Colorado, and Minnesota, which has seen more than 30 infections in the Twin Cities since 2025, according to the state’s department of health. Only two cases have been diagnosed in Washington, both in King County. It’s likely that there are more, Dr. Golden says.  “It’s very hard to make a definitive diagnosis here,” he says. “The only place in Washington state to get that lab test is through the University of Washington.” UW operates several hospitals in the area including Harborview Medical Center. Access to this testing depends on whether your provider works with the UW lab, Dr. Golden says.  So what to do about this fungal menace? Dr. Golden says if you have a persistent case of ringworm that is not responsive to topical creams, see a medical provider and raise the possibility of your infection being TM VII. Men who have sex with men should be especially vigilant, he says. “If you’re having a genital ringworm and you’re concerned about it, we’re happy to see patients at the sexual health clinic.” The post There’s a New Fungus Among Us appeared first on The Stranger. ...read more read less