Athlete's foot (see Dermatophyte) is a common contagious fungal infection of the skin that causes scaling, flaking, and itch of affected areas. Symptoms are caused by fungi such as Epidermophyton floccosum or fungi of the Trichophyton genus such asTrichophyton rubrum[1] or Trichophyton mentagrophytes.[2] This condition is also known as ringworm of the foot,[3] tinea pedis,[3] tinea pedum,[4] and moccasin foot[5]). The disease is typically transmitted in moist communal areas where people walk barefoot, such as showers or bathhouses, and requires a warm moist environment, (e.g., the inside of a shoe) to incubate.
The condition typically affects the feet, but may infect or spread to other areas of the body such as the groin and tends to spread to areas of skin that are kept hot and moist, such as with insulation, body heat, and sweat. The fungal agents responsible for infection may be picked up by walking barefoot in an infected area or using an infected towel. Infection can be prevented by limiting the use of occlusive footwear and remaining barefoot.[6] Globally, it affects about 15% of the population
Bacteria (i/bækˈtɪəriə/; singular: bacterium) constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a fewmicrometres in length, bacteria have a number of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals. Bacteria were among the first life forms to appear on Earth, and are present in most habitats on the planet. Bacteria inhabit soil, water, acidic hot springs,radioactive waste,[2] and the deep portions of Earth's crust. Bacteria also live in plants and animals (see symbiosis), and have flourished in manned space vehicles.[3]
There are typically 40 million bacterial cells in a gram of soil and a million bacterial cells in a millilitre of fresh water. There are approximately 5×1030 bacteria on Earth,[4] forming a biomass that exceeds that of all plants and