Isolation Rates and Carrier State of Dermatophytes, Nondermatophyte Molds, Malassezia Species, and Candida Species in Indoor Dogs and Cats in Daegu / 대한의진균학회지

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.