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Volume 32, Number 6—June 2026
Dispatch
Suspected Sexual Transmission of Dermatophilosis among Men Who Have Sex with Men, Lyon and Paris, France, 2025–2026
Matthieu Degreze
, François Durupt, Marine Ibranosyan, Anne-Lise Maucotel, Audrey Lapendry, Laurie Gouillon, Matthieu Godinot, and Maxime Bonjour
, François Durupt, Marine Ibranosyan, Anne-Lise Maucotel, Audrey Lapendry, Laurie Gouillon, Matthieu Godinot, and Maxime Bonjour
Table
Characteristics of 9 patients with cutaneous Dermatophilus congolensis infection in cluster of suspected sexual transmission of dermatophilosis among men who have sex with men, Lyon and Paris, France, 2025–2026*
| Pt. no. | Age, y | Underlying conditions | Lesion locations | Cutaneous co-infection or superinfection | Sauna attendance (location) | Symptom onset date | STI clinic consultation date | ENA accession nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | HIV PrEP use, STI history (CT, HSV) | Neck, beard, trunk, pubic region |
Pubic pthiriasis | 2–3 times/wk, 2 wks before symptoms (Lyon) | 2025 Dec 23 | 2025 Dec 31 | ERS29280943 |
| 2 | 50 | HIV PrEP use, STI history (HPV) | Beard | None | 2025 Dec 18 (Lyon) | 1 week after sauna attendance | 2026 Jan 19 | ERS29280944 |
| 3 | 26 | HIV PrEP use, STI history (CT, NG) | Beard, umbilicus, scrotum, inguinal folds |
Staphylococcus aureus (beard) | 2026 Jan 28 (Lyon); 2026 Feb 1 (Paris) | 2026 Feb 1 | 2026 Feb 6 | ERS29314550 |
| 4 | 51 | HIV PrEP use, STI history (CT, NG, Tp) | Legs, groin, back, scrotum | None | 2026 Feb 3 (Lyon) | 2026 Feb 7 | 2026 Feb 10 | ERS29314551 |
| 5 | 60 | HIV PrEP use, STI history (Tp) | Penis, pubic region | None | 2026 Jan 29–30 (Paris); 2026 Feb 3 (Paris) | 2026 Feb 6 | 2026 Feb 10 | ERS29380148 |
| 6 | 59 | HIV+ (CD4: 643/mm3), STI history (CT, NG, Tp, HSV) | Upper thighs, umbilicus, groin | None | 2026 Feb 3 (Lyon) | 2026 Feb 11 | 2026 Feb 18 | ERS29380149 |
| 7 | 42 | STI history (NG, Tp), cannabis and cocaine use | Scalp, beard, scrotum, abdomen, limbs, anal margin | S. aureus | Regular attendance, 1×/wk (Lyon) | 2026 Feb 10 | 2026 Feb 19 | ERS29380150 |
| 8 | 45 | HIV PrEP use, STI history (CT) | Penis, scrotum, pubic region, upper left thigh |
Staphylococcus lugdunensis | 2026 Feb 5 (Lyon) | 2026 Feb 11 | 2026 Feb 20 | ERS29380440 |
| 9 | 22 | HIV PrEP use | Scrotum, inguinal folds | S. aureus | None | 2026 Feb 6 | 2026 Feb 20 | Not sequenced |
*CT, Chlamydia trachomatis; ENA, European Nucleotide Archive; HSV, herpes simplex virus; HPV, human papillomavirus; NG, Neisseria gonorrheae; PrEP, preexposure prophylaxis; Pt., patient; STI, sexual transmitted infection; Tp, Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum; +, positive.
Page created: April 23, 2026
Page updated: April 30, 2026
Page reviewed: April 30, 2026
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