Shoe sanitizer for fungal infections

NewsBot · Jul 23, 2012

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Optimization of an Infected Shoe Model for the Evaluation of an Ultraviolet Shoe Sanitizer Device
Mahmoud A. Ghannoum, Nancy Isham and Lisa Long
JAPMA July/August 2012 vol. 102 no. 4 309-313

Background: Onychomycosis and tinea pedis (athlete’s foot) are infections of the nails and skin caused by pathogenic fungi collectively known as dermatophytes. These infections are difficult to treat, and patients often relapse; it is thought that a patient’s footwear becomes infected with these fungal organisms and, thus, is an important reservoir for reinfection. Therefore, it is important to find an effective means for killing the dermatophytes that may have colonized the inner surface of the shoes of patients with superficial fungal infections. In this study, we developed an in vitro model for culturing dermatophytes in footwear and used this model to evaluate the effectiveness of a commercial ultraviolet shoe sanitizer in eradicating the fungal elements residing in shoes.

Methods: Leather and athletic shoes (24 pairs) were inoculated with either Trichophyton rubrum or Trichophyton mentagrophytes (107 colony-forming units/mL) strains and were placed at 35°C for 4 to 5 days. Next, we compared the ability of swabbing versus scraping to collect microorganisms from infected shoes. Following the optimized method, shoes were infected and were irradiated with one to three cycles of radiation. The inner surfaces of the shoes were swabbed or scraped, and the specimens were cultured for dermatophyte colony-forming units.

Results: Leather and canvas shoes were infected to the same extent. Moreover, scraping with a scalpel was overall more effective than was swabbing with a cotton-tipped applicator in recovering viable fungal elements. Irradiation of shoes with one, two, or three cycles resulted in reduction of fungal colonization to the same extent.

Conclusions: The developed infected shoe model is useful for assessing the effectiveness of ultraviolet shoe sanitizers. Also, ultraviolet treatment of shoes with a commercial ultraviolet C sanitizing device was effective in reducing the fungal burden in shoes. These findings have implications regarding breaking foot infection cycles
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Admin2 · Jul 24, 2012

Related threads:
Other threads tagged with fungal infections

Simon Spooner · Jul 24, 2012

Some years ago there was an undergraduate study which inoculated socks with yeast and then investigated the effects of machine washing with detergent versus microwave. As I recall, the machine washing was pretty ineffective while a short burst in the microwave- might have been 10-20 seconds, was effective at denaturing the yeast.

Paul Bowles · Jul 25, 2012

We have been using a "brand" of this type of device now for some time. The results of that study are un-surprising.

Simon - I await the pictures of your wet shoes in the microwave ;)

Simon Spooner · Jul 25, 2012

Paul Bowles said: ↑

W
Simon - I await the pictures of your wet shoes in the microwave ;)
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Socks, Paul. The study was about socks

Personally, I use a Klenz machine which uses ozone and silver ions. http://www.win-health.com/klenz-multipurpose-sanitiser.html

blinda · Jul 25, 2012

Simon Spooner said: ↑

I use a Klenz machine which uses ozone and silver ions. http://www.win-health.com/klenz-multipurpose-sanitiser.html
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Which were a lot cheaper a while ago. Sure you won't sell?

Simon Spooner · Jul 25, 2012

blinda said: ↑

Which were a lot cheaper a while ago. Sure you won't sell?
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Follow the link and buy one!

blinda · Jul 25, 2012

Simon Spooner said: ↑

Follow the link and buy one!
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When my ship comes in...

NewsBot · Sep 22, 2019

Detection of Trichophyton spp. from footwear of patients with tinea pedis.
Ishijima SA et al
Drug Discov Ther. 2019;13(4):207-211

The prevalence of tinea pedis (also known as athlete's foot) in Japanese workers as well as contamination of their footwear by pathogenic filamentous fungi were investigated. Health checks by a dermatologist at a factory located in the Kanto region (Japan) led to a clinical and morphologic diagnosis of tinea pedis in 9 of 19 workers. Scales obtained from the feet and dust obtained from the protective footwear (safety shoes) worn daily in the factory were obtained from these nine subjects and tested using a mycological culture technique. Scales obtained from six of the nine subjects indicated pathogenic filamentous fungi, not only Trichophyton spp., but also Acremonium, which causes symptoms similar to tinea pedis or onychomycosis. Similarly, culture of the dust obtained from the safety shoes yielded pathogenic filamentous fungi in six of the nine subjects, and in four samples Trichophyton spp. was also identified. These findings suggest that cultivable Trichophyton spp. can be detected in approximately 40% of the safety shoes of workers with tinea pedis. The risk of reinfection by pathogenic filamentous fungi is likely increased by wearing dermatophyte-contaminated shoes.
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