Abstract:

Dermatophytosis is an infectious and zoonotic disease caused by species belonging to the genera Microsporum, Trichophyton, and Epidermophyton that affects the hair follicles, nails, and keratin layer of the epidermis. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dermatophytosis in different animal species with clinical lesions. To this end, a total of 395 skin scraping and hair materials taken from cat, dog, horse, parrot, and calf with dermatophytosis suspicion that presented to the Department of Microbiology of the Ankara University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine between 2014 and 2017 in different seasons were investigated. A mycological analysis of the materials was conducted involving direct microscopy and a fungal culture test. Of the 395 materials tested, 117 (29.62%) were positive for dermatophytosis with the following distribution: Microsporum spp., 34 of 195 cats, 24 of 181 dogs, two of 11 horses; Trichophyton spp., 26 of 181 dogs, 25 of 195 cats, one of 11 horses, one of three calves, and two of five parrots; Epidermophyton spp. two of 195 cats. The dermatophyte isolation rate was relatively higher in the summer (36.06%) and spring (29.51%) for cats, and in fall (30%) and spring (26%) for dogs.

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