As the world grapples with the rise in treatment-resistant fungal infections, a growing debate has emerged over the name of a fungal species, Trichophyton indotini.

Dermatologists and scientists from several countries, including India, Germany, Nepal, Britain and Bangladesh, are questioning the appropriateness of the term, which links the fungus to India, arguing that it unfairly stigmatizes the region and that the fungus Does not reflect the actual global presence of.

The species name was introduced after identifying the fungus in only two patients – one from India and one from Nepal. However, the nomenclature has raised concerns about the negative connotation of the term “Indotineae” and the lack of clarity regarding the origin of the fungus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and other scientific bodies have long discouraged naming diseases or pathogens after specific regions, as this could lead to stigma, misinformation, and geopolitical tensions, such as renaming monkeypox. To mpox.

Initially identified in South Asia, T. indotini has now been found in more than 40 countries, including Australia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

This widespread presence suggests that the fungus is not unique to India or the subcontinent. In an article published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, experts argue that linking its name to a specific region ignores its global impact and the role of factors such as international travel and migration in its spread.

Countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Iraq are also battling outbreaks of the fungus, which is resistant to many standard treatments.

Scientists have reported that strains of this fungus were found outside India even before it became a recognized public health issue in the mid-2010s.

Naming diseases or pathogens based on locations has historically created problems, according to the doctors’ group. Examples such as “Spanish flu,” “West Nile virus,” and “Delhi boil” have perpetuated prejudices and often misrepresented the origins of these conditions.

Such naming practices can harm scientific objectivity, create unnecessary stigma, and even lead to racial bias.

“In most cases, they have been clearly proven wrong and often lead to considerable misinformation, stigma and racial bias. This can ultimately harm science by politicizing it and exposing entire countries or regions and their populations without Mistakes can be stigmatizing, especially when their origins are unclear,” the expert group said.

In July 2024, a landmark decision at the International Botanical Congress in Madrid proposed renaming more than 200 plant and fungus species from racially or regionally biased names. The proposal included creating an ethics committee to guide future naming conventions.

Experts suggest returning to the previous term Trichophyton mentagrophytes genotype VIII or adopting a more neutral scientific name to avoid regional bias.

The current nomenclature also risks confusing physicians unfamiliar with microbiological nomenclature, as it omits references to earlier terms that were widely used.

Given the ongoing debate, dermatologists and researchers are urging the scientific community to establish an international committee to monitor the naming practices of pathogens.

Until then, they recommend avoiding words that may inadvertently stigmatize a region or its population.