Medical Questions » Skin Infections Questions » Question No. 908
| Question: | My daughter has just been started on treatment for a ringworm. How do you catch ringworm? |
| Answer: | Ringworm is not a worm, but a fungal infection of the skin. The disease is caught from another animal (human, cat, dog etc.) that already has the disease. The fungal spore that causes the disease penetrates into the skin, and then starts growing. It first appears as a red spot that gradually enlarges and then develops a pale centre. As the fungus grows, the edge of the spreading infection becomes red and inflamed, while the area that has recovered returns to a normal skin colour. Thus a slowly enlarging ring appears.
The same phenomenon can be seen in rJhe toadstool tings that form in damp grass.
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