Aras Part Medical International Press International Journal of Medical Parasitology and Epidemiology Sciences 2766-6492 7 2 2026 06 29 Molecular Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis of Trichophyton indotineae Isolates from Patients with Dermatophytosis in Babylon Province, Iraq 111 118 10.34172/ijmpes.6269 EN Zaman Abdul Hussein Ali Ghfil https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0858-5565 Dina Yousif Mohammed https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7303-3562 Faheema Jabbar Aboalhur https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6710-0992 Sinai W. Mohammed https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8359-4921 Huda Mushtaq Talib https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3914-1046 Mervet Abdul Hasan Mshachal https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5280-713X Journal Article 10.34172/ijmpes.6269 2026 04 23 2026 06 22 Introduction: Trichophyton indotineae has emerged globally as a highly contagious, terbinafine-resistant dermatophyte causing treatment-refractory superficial mycoses, posing a significant public health threat.This study evaluated the epidemiology of dermatophytosis in Babylon Province, Iraq, and performed molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of local clinical isolates. Methods: Clinical specimens from 258 patients aged 1 to 71 years were analyzed. Following phenotypic characterization, genomic DNA was extracted from three representative isolates. Polymerase chain reaction amplified the internal transcribed spacer region, followed by DNA sequencing and neighbor-joining phylogenetic analysis. Results: Tinea corporis was the most prevalent clinical presentation (37.89%), followed by Tinea pedis (16.69%) and Tinea capitis (15.09%). Infections were significantly more common in rural areas (57.4%) and individuals aged over 13 years (73.5%). Gender-specific variations were observed, with Tinea pedis dominating in males (85.6%) and Tinea corporis in females (63.9%). Molecular and phylogenetic analyses of the three isolates confirmed 100% sequence identity with global T. indotineae reference strains (GenBank ON528187.1), clustering them within the T. indotineae clade. Conclusion: This study provides the first molecular confirmation of T. indotineae in Babylon Province, Iraq. The findings highlight the critical need for molecular surveillance and antifungal susceptibility testing to manage resistant dermatophytosis.