Background
Fungal infection of animals or humans are common all over the world. Some of microorganisms like fungi, exist on the skin and can be transmitted onto other individuals, other animal species or even humans and cause skin infections. Moreover, they can be the causative agents of severe generalized infections especially in immunocompromised individuals. The study aimed to evaluate the most frequent etiological agents of skin diseases and to compare the prevalence of animal fungal infections in Poland, and to discuss the possibility of transmission to humans in Poland.
Results
The obtained results are culture based
.
The fungi most frequently isolated from group of animals with skin lesions were
Malassezia pachydermatis
(29.14%), and
Candida
yeasts (27.07%), and dermatophytes (23.5%), including
Microsporum canis
as majority of them (59.25%), and
Trichophyton
genus (40.7%), most of them
T. mentagrophytes,
while
Malassezia pachydermatis
represented (80%) of isolates in animals with
otitis externa.
In over 19% of positive fungal cultures obtained from external ear canals
Candida
yeasts, mainly
C. albicans
, were identified.
Conclusions
Dermatomycoses in companion animals are caused by both, mycelial fungi and yeasts. Most frequently isolated were
Malassezia pachydermatis
and
Candida
spp. Dermatophytes (
Trichophyton, Microsporum
), were also cultured, but the total number of these isolates seems to decrease. We have not found
Cryptococcus neoformans
in tested clinical samples.
Dworecka-Kaszak B., Dąbrowska I.Dermatophytes: New taxonomy and differentiation methods. Review of current state of knowledge about mechanisms of pathogenesis and pathogen-host interaction Summary Dermatophytes are a highly specialized group of keratinophilic and keratinolytic filamentous fungi causing a disease called dermatophytosis or ringworm. Although dermatophyte infections do not threaten the host's life, they lower its quality in humans by causing discomfort related to cosmetic problems, whereas in farm animals they often cause economic losses. In this work we have summarized the latest knowledge about taxonomy, differentiation methods, mechanisms of pathogenesis and pathogen-host interaction.
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