Association of Bacteria with Superficial Fungal Infections

Superficial fungal infections are regarded as benign Infections caused by pathogenic fungi which
involves the human hair, nails, epidermis, and mucosa. Fungal infections gained this notoriety due to
their ability to adhere and grow over and inside intact skin surface, absorbing nutrients from the skin
as they are unable to produce their own food. This study identified and determined bacteria
associated with superficial fungal infections. Sample collection and analysis was done in
Dermatophilosis Research Centre, National Veterinary Research Institute Vom, Plateau State,
Nigeria, in a duration of sixteen (16) months. Nine hundred and forty (940) human skin and nail
scraping samples from different parts of the body were collected from subjects referred to the Centre
from different hospitals with visible skin infections. Sample analysis were carried out using standard
microbiological methods which include: Wet mount, tease mount, culture and biochemical tests for the
isolation and identification of fungi and bacteria. Out of 940 samples, 892(94.9%) yielded fungal
species which include: Microsporum 45(4.8%), Trichophyton 176(18.7%), Aspergillus 216(22.9%),
Epidermophyton 32(3.4%), Candida 72(7.7%), Mucor 141(15.0%), Rhizopus 52(5.5%), Fusarium
12(1.3%), Bipolaris 23(2.5%), Sporothrix 74(7.9%), Penicillium 32(3.4%) and Curvularia 17(1.8%). All
samples 940 (100%) yielded an array of bacteria which include: Staphylococcus aureus 125(13.3%),
Staphylococcus epidermidis 145(15.8%), Micrococcus luteus 233(24.8%), α-hemolytic Streptococci
89(9.5%), Escherichia coli 59(6.3%), Proteus mirabilis 113(12%), Bacillus subtilis 78(8.3%) and
Klebsiella pneumonia 98(10.4%). Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and
Micrococcus luteus were isolated from all sites of infection while Micrococcus luteus was isolated from
all moist ulcerous and dry scaly skin infections. This study clearly showed that bacteria are associated
with superficial fungal infections and observed that Micrococcus luteus was the most prevalent
bacterial organism associated with superficial fungal infections. Under favourable conditions, some of
the bacteria isolated can establish infections through broken skin hence complicating or prolonging
treatment of the skin infection.