A prickly souvenir from a hedgehog café: tinea manuum secondary to Trichophyton erinacei via international spread

: We present a case of tinea manuum caused by Trichophyton erinacei (T. erinacei) in a 40-year-old Australian woman, following unprotected handling of hedgehogs at a hedgehog cafe when travelling in Japan. T. erinacei is a dermatophyte endemic to hedgehogs, however hedgehogs are not native to Australia. An extensive literature search revealed a single report of human infection with T. erinacei in Australia, however this present case is the first PCR-confirmed case of human T. erinacei infection and with intercontinental spread. This case highlights how atypical zoonotic infections may be acquired secondary to exposure to animals in novel and increasingly popular 'animal cafes,' with associated difficulty in mandating suitable protection against the infection when the source was overseas.