Observations on rural and urban ringworm.

The purpose of this report is to compare and contrast the salient features of urban and rural ringworm as seen in a study area of northeastern Michigan, and to discuss in detail evidence for the animal origin of human ringworm infections. The patients included were observed by one of the authors (E. A. H.) during a five-year period (1949—1954) in his dermatological practice, and specimen materials were sent to the Communicable Disease Center for examination and culture. The study area was comprised of several medium-sized industrial cities (Saginaw, Midland, Bay City, and Mount Pleasant), a number of small towns, and many farms distributed throughout 13 Michigan counties. The several types of fungus infections were studied with reference to the place of residence of the patient, his occupation, the type of lesion presented, and human or animal contacts or factors in the home environment that may have been important in transmission of the disease.