A man in his 40s returned from a Muay Thai camp in Thailand, where he had been in contact with an elephant. Days later, in May 2025, spots appeared on his face, scalp, and torso, along with conjunctivitis.
It seemed like an isolated case. But five months later, in Basel, Switzerland, four other men with no recent travel or contact with animals developed similar lesions, this time on the genitals and groin area, with pain when urinating. Tests confirmed that it was the same bacterium, Dermatophilus congolensis, responsible for an infection known as “rain rot” or “rain scald”, common in horses, sheep, and cows in tropical areas.
The scientists who published the finding in the journal Eurosurveillance argue that skin-to-skin contact, whether sexual or during activities such as martial arts, may have facilitated transmission. Similar patterns had already been detected in Barcelona, Paris, Lyon, Stockholm, and other European cities, always among men who have sex with men. All cases were cured with antibiotics, but the researchers insist that doctors must learn to recognize this infection in time.
