Ringworm is experiencing a notable rise in frequency now.

Ringworm has become increasingly prevalent.

Ringworm, caused by the parvovirus, is a highly contagious infection that appears to be on the rise, impacting both children and adults. Pregnant women face a particular risk, as they can pass the pathogen on to their unborn child, leading to potential complications such as miscarriage or premature birth.

In recent months, reported cases of ringworm have surged in Germany and various other EU countries, as noted by Martin Enders from the parvovirus consultancy lab in Stuttgart. While this virus typically spikes in occurrence during spring and early summer, an increase in infections has already been observed since the beginning of the year. Pregnant women seem to be most susceptible to infection, often catching it from their own children or through occupational exposure.

Consequences for the unborn child include complications like miscarriages or fluid retention (hydrops), with the highest incidence of these issues arising from infections prior to the 20th week.

Contracting ringworm is fairly straightforward, as the virus is spread through coughing, sneezing, or contaminated hands. It may also transmit via smear infections, potentially even through commonly touched surfaces like door handles. Symptoms in adults and children often involve mild fever with lymph node swelling, though not everyone experiences a distinctive skin rash.

Individuals who have already had ringworm are permanently immune to this infection. However, pregnant women are frequently infected by their children, often around the house or through work-related encounters.

Complications for unborn babies include anemia, which occurs when the pathogen enters the child's bloodstream via the placenta and disrupts blood-forming cells. Severe consequences include miscarriage or premature birth, particularly in the early stages of pregnancy.

Jakob Maske, spokesperson for the German Association of Pediatricians and Adolescent Doctors, emphasizes that some pregnant women may not exhibit telltale symptoms like a cough, cold, and rash, making the disease more challenging to identify. Compared to other rash-causing illnesses, rubella has a uniquely distinct appearance.

To determine if a pregnant woman has previously contracted ringworm and is thus immune, a test can be conducted to identify the presence of antibodies against parvovirus B19 and any viral genetic material in the blood.

Although around ten percent of unborn babies might become infected if their mother is carrying ringworm, pregnant women should be closely monitored for anemia in their child, especially in the first half of their pregnancy. Treatment to replenish the child's blood reserves can be administered via the umbilical cord from the sixteenth week of pregnancy onward, though the first weeks remain uncertain for detecting infections or anemia in the embryo.

Following years of few transfusions due to rubella infections at the University Women's Hospital in Tübingen, there have been approximately two per week recently. Given that infections in the last trimester of pregnancy rarely pose a life-threatening risk to the unborn baby, these cases are less alarming.

However, the source of the current increase in ringworm cases is unclear.

As per Enders, the exorbitant level of activity now can be attributed to various aspects, one of which being the scarce cases throughout the pandemic due to lockdowns and hygiene measures. This led to a substantial increase in the number of susceptible people for the virus to affect. "From 2020 to 2023, we experienced minimal to no activity at all for three consecutive years. This has resulted in multiple kids who are not immune yet," says Enders. As a consequence of more infections in children, pregnant women are also being infected more frequently, ultimately leading to more severe complications. However, Enders believes that the virus itself hasn't changed and that the infections are only more common due to the rise in susceptible individuals.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) also revealed an upsurge in parvovirus B19 infections in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and France. Even though a thorough epidemiological analysis is absent because the disease is often overlooked worldwide, the numbers highlight an increase in infections across several age groups, with children being predominantly vulnerable. Alongside pregnant women, individuals with blood disorders or a weakened immune system were found to be at a higher risk for experiencing severe illness.