Study of contamination by dermatophyte fungi in work tools of barbershops and hairdressing salons in the commune of Santiago and Providencia, Metropolitan Region, year 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Skin infections caused by dermatophyte fungi are highly contagious and can lead to specific symptoms with inflammatory processes. Transmission primarily occurs through direct contact with spores, which can be found on fomites. Objective: Verify the presence of dermatophyte fungi on tools used in barbershops and hair salons in the Santiago and Providencia districts. Methodology: A non-experimental, cross-sectional, exploratory, quantitative, and prospective study was conducted. Samples were collected from 59 tools that had direct contact with the scalp, across 18 barbershops/hair salons. Additionally, a disinfection habits survey was conducted using a disinfection score (1 to 10), which was correlated with the presence of dermatophyte fungi. Result: In the districts of Santiago (27 samples) and Providencia (32 samples), one positive sample for dermatophytes was obtained per district. Regarding the survey, optimal disinfection was obtained in Providencia of 77,7% and in Santiago 66,6%. On the other hand, the most used disinfection method was razor sprays. Discussion: Studies carried out in Turkey and Argentina demonstrated the presence of these fungi on tools, which correlates with the present study, evidencing disinfection problems and failures in the cleaning protocol. It highlights the need for future research to determine whether disinfection standards should be established in Chile in hairdressers and barbershops, preventing infections by dermatophyte fungi. Conclusion: The presence of two dermatophyte fungi was demonstrated in tools used in barbershops and hair salons in both districts.