Professionals from the microbiology services and the ITS Drassanes Unit of the Infectious Diseases Service at Vall d'Hebron have analyzed cases of an emerging skin infection in a study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. The findings suggest the bacteria belong to a distinct lineage, raising the possibility of it being a previously undescribed species with unknown behavior.

However, the hospital's Infectious Diseases Service conveys a message of calm and dismisses any public health alarm. Very few cases have been identified, all mild, with no antibiotic resistance issues and transmission occurring in a very specific context. Patients are men with mild skin lesions, such as rashes or nodules, primarily located in the genital area, groin, thighs, or beard area, suggesting transmission through sexual contact.

A notable element in some cases is exposure to humid environments like saunas, which could facilitate contagion. Researchers believe the disease's evolution will need to be monitored with the arrival of summer and environments like swimming pools or the sea. Another hypothesis, though less likely, is environmental transmission through contact with contaminated surfaces or water. The research is strengthened by the description of nearly identical cases in Lyon and Berlin.

Microbiological and genomic analysis indicates the bacteria are very similar to each other, reinforcing the hypothesis of a recent common origin. Although the case sample is small, researchers believe it is an emerging, likely underdiagnosed, skin infection. The medical community is urged to increase clinical suspicion for compatible lesions to break transmission chains and to enhance surveillance in sexually transmitted infections, microbiology, and public health units.