Anyone can get ringworm, but people who have weakened immune systems may be especially at risk for infection and may have problems fighting off a ringworm infection.
Can a fungal infection affect your immune system?
Researchers have studied how the human body responds to viral infection when already infected by fungi, offering insights into the immune system. New research has found that the body's immune response to fungal infections changes when a patient is also infected by a virus.
How does ringworm affect body systems?
Ringworm infections can affect the skin on almost any area of the body, such as the scalp, legs, arms, feet, groin and nails. These infections are usually itchy. Redness, scaling, or fissuring of the skin, or a ring with irregular borders and a cleared central area may occur.
Does fungus weaken your immune system?
Summary: Scientists have now discovered how the fungus knocks out the immune defenses, enabling a potentially fatal fungal infection to develop. It is everywhere -- and it is extremely dangerous for people with a weakened immune system.
How does the immune system respond to ringworm?
The host immune response to fungal infection occurs in a coordinated way via both innate and adaptive immune cells. Innate effector cells, mainly macrophages and neutrophils, are the first line of defense against inhaled fungal spores (11, 26). As a result, most initial fungal encounters go unnoticed (27).
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