The state\u2019s health department issued an advisory<\/a> on Feb. 11 about a surge in cases of the newly discovered Trichophyton mentagrophytes genotype VII (TMVII), which spreads through sexual contact and causes \u201citchy, painful, and\/or persistent genital, perianal, buttock or abdominal skin lesions.\u201d<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n Although it\u2019s known as \u201cringworm,\u201d it\u2019s not caused by a worm, but rather, but a drug-resistant fungus. Treatment of TMVII can take up to 12 weeks, health officials said. This type of ringworm was first discovered in the U.S. in June 2025, when a man in New York<\/a> was diagnosed with the infection.<\/p>\n Since then state officials say, \u201cmore than 30 confirmed or suspected cases have been reported in the metro area, resulting in the largest known outbreak of TMVII in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n The U.S. Centers for Disease Control<\/a> describes the infection as \u201can emerging fungus\u201d that was originally\u00a0 \u201cdescribed in travelers returning from Thailand after sexual contact with sex workers.\u201d It\u2019s since been documented in China and in Europe, and is primarily associated with men who have sex with men.<\/p>\n Those who are infected are urged to avoid sexual contact, sharing personal items or clothing \u2014\u00a0and to wash and dry their clothing on high heat, which can kill the spores that may be in the fabric.\u00a0 The Minnesota health department<\/a> advises that the rash \u2014 which is round and sometimes covered with pimples or bumps \u2014 can be mistaken for other skin conditions, such as eczema<\/a>, or psoriasis<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Stock](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3ffe59b9b290c140576796165efa221d.jpeg\"\/)
Stock image of a doctor examining a patient. <\/p>\n