pISSN : 3058-423X eISSN: 3058-4302
Open Access, Peer-reviewed
pISSN : 3058-423X eISSN: 3058-4302
Open Access, Peer-reviewed
Jeong Young Park,Dong Hoon Shin,Jong Soo Choi,Ki Hong Kim
Epub 2016 February 17
Abstract
Background: Fungal agents are commonly transmitted from dogs and cats to humans.
Objective: To identify the mycoflora of and association of skin diseases in dogs and cats fed as pets indoors.
Methods: A total of 435 animals (355 dogs and 80 cats) with or without skin lesions were included in the study; these animals lived indoors and had been examined in a veterinary hospital between August 2010 and May 2011. Their hair and scales were obtained using Mackenzie's brush technique, and a mycologic study was performed.
Results: Of the 435 animals examined, 3.2% had dermatophytes (DM), including 1.5% of the dogs with dermatoses (D-dogs), 0.6% of the dogs with normal skin (N-dogs), 43.8% of the cats with dermatoses (D-cats), and 6.3% of the cats with normal skin (N-cats). All the DMs isolated were identified as Microsporum canis. Nondermatophyte molds
were isolated from 24.1% of the animals examined, including 19.3% of the D-dogs, 29.7% of the N-dogs, 18.8% of
the D-cats, and 26.6% of the N-cats. Of the 435 samples examined, 49.5% yielded Malassezia pachydermatis (Mz. pachydermatis), including those from 58.4% of the D-dogs, 53.8% of the N-dogs, 31.3% of the D-cats, and 17.2% of
the N-cats. The prevalence of Mz. pachydermatis infection in dogs aged 6 years and more was higher than that in the other dogs.
Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of DM in dogs and cats was lower than that reported in previous studies. DMs were found in a significantly higher percentage of D-cats (43.8%) than D-dogs (1.5%) (p < .001) and of N-cats (6.3%) than N-dogs (0.6%) (p=0.022). The prevalence of nondermatophyte molds did not significantly differ between dogs and cats with dermatoses or normal skin.
Keywords
Candida Dermatophytes Malassezia Nondermatophyte molds
