Victor Meyer, age 12, of Grand Rapids, Mich., for his question:

WHAT CAUSES RINGWORM?

Ringworm is a skin disease that is caused by fungi or tiny plants. Itching is often a symptom and it's a disease often found on the skin of children.

The disease is highly infectious. Children are especially susceptible to the type of ringworm that grows on the scalp. Sometimes children contact it from other students in their school or even from dogs or cats.

A type of ringworm found on the toes is commonly called athlete's foot

Common ringworm of the skin starts as a small red spot and grows larger with the eruption sometimes appearing as a red, scaly ring.

Doctors usually treat ringworm with local applications of fungicidal compounds.