Reasons for People to Break Out in Ring Worms

Commonly mistaken for a worm due to the circular-like rash that appears on infected individuals, ringworm is caused by fungal infections. Fungi known as dermatophytes spread the disease. Common fungi resulting in ringworm include trichophyton and microsporum, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ringworm can attack various parts of your body, including your groin and feet. Ringworm is a contagious skin infection, that usually occurs in children, though adults can get an infection as well.

Direct Contact

• Touching the skin of an infected person can lead to ringworm infections. Contact sports such as wrestling can spread infections. Athlete's foot results from walking on surfaces contaminated with ringworm spores. Contaminated shower and pool surfaces can potentially lead to athlete's foot. Athlete's foot can be difficult to eradicate since ringworm needs a moist environment to thrive. If you can't keep areas between your toes dry, reinfection can occur.

Animal Contact

• Pets can transmit ringworm.

  Ringworm fungal spores can live on your animal's fur or on items such as pet brushes. Once exposure occurs, your pet can develop signs of ringworm within two weeks. Your pet can then pass ringworm to you when you touch affected skin on your pet or when you groom it. Cats are more likely than other animals to carry the disease, indicates the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Other animals that can pass ringworm include dogs, ferrets, rabbits and horses.

Inanimate Objects

• Children can get ringworm by touching contaminated objects.

  When an infected person touches an object such as a towel, clothing or bedding, the object becomes contaminated. Even telephones and stuffed toys can become contaminated. While you can wash ringworm fungal spores from inanimate objects like clothing, spores can remain on items such as combs for months when not cleaned.

Soil Contact

• Though rare, humans can get ringworm infections through soil transmission if infected pets contaminate the soil. Pets shed hair and skin cells, which can carry ringworm. However, your dog or cat would need to shed an excessive amount of fur or skin cells that accumulate in your backyard. You would then have to spend enormous amounts of time in contact with infected soil to break out with ringworm through soil transmission.