Epidemiology of tinea capitis in primary school children in Bouake, Ivory Coast

Objectives: The objective of this study was to update the epidemiology of tinea capitis in schoolchildren of Bouake city, 16 years later.

Methods: From mid-February to mid-April 2017, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in the "TSF-Sud" public primary -school group. All pupils present during the survey period had a clinical examination of the scalp. Hair stumps and scales were collected from children who showed symptoms suggestive of tinea capitis. Samples were exposed to direct microscopic examination using 30% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution under light microscopy and cultured on Sabouraud's agar medium supplemented with chloramphenicol, and cycloheximide with incubation at 27 °C for at least two weeks. The diagnosis of tinea capitis was made when the direct examination and culture of the samples were positive.

Results: Among the 803 children aged from 5 to 13 years who were clinically examined, 100 (14.5%) were found to have suspected tinea capitis. All sample were positive on direct examination and 70 were positive on cultures, giving an overall prevalence of 8.7%. No significant differences were observed between sexes (p = 1), age groups (p = 0.26), presence of domestic animals at home (p = 0.64) and hair cut at barber or salon (p = 0.21). The prevalence was higher in children who shared a bed (p = 0.001) and those with a history of ringworm (p < 0.001). Trichophyton soudanense (48.5%), Microsporum audouinii (14.3%), Microsporum ferrugineum (14.3%), were the most isolated dermatophytes.

Conclusions: Our study showed a low prevalence of tinea capitis compared to those observed in 2003 in the same region due to improved living conditions.