SATURDAY September 29, 2007 (Foodconsumer.org) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced the approval of Lamisil Oral Granules for the treatment of tinea capitis or ringworm, a fungal infection of the scalp, in children ages 4 years and older.
Tinea capitis occurs often in young children and causes severe itching, dandruff and bald patches. The fungal infection is persistent and does not respond well to topical treatment, the FDA says in its announcement.
"Tinea capitis is a persistent infection that is hard to treat, and one that causes children embarrassment," said Steven Galson, M.D., M.P.H., director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
"A parent's ability to sprinkle it on the food of a child, who may not like to take medicine, should go a long way to helping ensure the infection is properly treated and to limiting its spread."
The new treatment is developed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation of
East Hanover,
N.J.
The formulation containing Lamisil (terbinafine hydrochloride) is made to be palatable for children.
Parents of infected children may sprinkle the medicine on food.
This helps children who do not like taking tablets or pills.
Lamisil Oral Granules are used once a day for six weeks with the dosage determined by the weight of the infected child.
The following are some common questions and answers about ringworm
What is ringworm?
Ringworm also known as is a fungus infection that affects the scalp, the body, the feet and the nails.
Ringworm is so called because the infected person would show up red ring on his skin.
What is the infectious agent that causes ringworm?
Several fungus organisms belonging to a group called dermatophytes cause ringworm.
Different organisms lead to infection on different parts of the body, causing different types of ringworm including ringworm of the scalp, ringworm of the body, ringworm of the foot and ringworm of the nails.
How do people get infected with ringworm-causing fungi?
The ringworm fungi can be spread through direct skin-to-kin contact with an infected person or pet or indirect contact with an object or surface that an infected person touched.
What is the incidence of ringworm?
The infection occurs often in children under age of ten years. But it can occur at any age.
The incidence of ringworm is unknown as the disease has been no long registered.
What are the symptoms of ringworm?
Ringworm of the scalp often starts as a small pimple that becomes larger, leading to scaly patches of temporary baldness. The hairs in the infected areas become brittle and easy to break off.
Ringworm of the body may show up a flat, round patch on the skin.
As the rash spreads, a ring can be produced. The infected area may feel itchy.
Ringworm of foot is also known as athlete's foot. Scaling or cracking of the skin can be found between toes.
Ringworm of the nails causes the nails to become brittle, discolored and thicker.
What is the latency of the ringworm infection?
The infection can develop symptoms after a period of 10 to 14 days on the scalp and 4 to 10 days on the body skin. The latency of other types of ringworm remains unknown.
How can the ringworm be diagnosed?
Health care providers use special tests to diagnose the ringworm infection.
Who are at the risk of ringworm?
Scalp ringworm often affects young children who attend schools, day-care centers and infant nurseries. School athletes are at risk for ringworm of the scalp, ringworm of the body, and ringworm of the feet.
Children with young pets are also at risk for ringworm of the body.
How is ringworm treated?
Ringworm can be treated with antifungal medications in tablets or liquid form taken orally or applied topically.
What are the complications of ringworm?
The disease does not seem to cause serious consequences. But it can result in an infection that will not clear up and cause some inconvenience.
How can ringworm be prevented?
To prevent ringworm, one needs to avoid contact with infected persons or pets and do not share personal items and practice good personal hygiene.
