الملخص
Skin diseases are common worldwide; however, this study is the first to examine the prevalence of fungal diseases in the Gaza Strip—one of the most densely populated regions globally and therefore expected to exhibit a high burden of such infections. Data for this study were obtained from Ministry of Health records and from patients attending the Dermatology Department at Al‑Shifa Hospital in Gaza. Each participating patient completed a questionnaire documenting age, sex, residence, type of fungal disease, and site of infection.
ANOVA was used to compare the mean distribution of diagnosed fungal species across seasons for the years 1998–2001. The study found that 32% of individuals of both sexes suffered from fungal infections. The head and skin were the most commonly affected body sites, accounting for 15.9% and 10.5% of infections respectively. Tinea capitis was the most prevalent type of Tinea, representing 23.3% of cases.
A significant association was observed between fungal disease and age (p = 0.001). Seasonal variation was also significant, with higher mean prevalence in summer compared to winter (p = 0.02) for the years 1998, 2000, and 2001. The study concludes that fungal diseases remain common in the Gaza Strip community, with a consistently higher prevalence during the summer months.