Your pet guinea pig could transmit ringworm fungus to you

Children are at primary risk of being infected with a dermatophyte - a group of fungi that can cause skin disease - as they often come into close contact with their pets. Photo: dpa

Skin fungi like ringworm are not only transmitted from person to person, but also from animal to human. Guinea pigs are likely candidates for transmission, says a German medical magazine.

According to the Neue Apotheken Illustrierte, children are at primary risk of being infected with a dermatophyte – a group of fungus that cause skin disease – as they often come into close contact with the animals.