Trichophyton verrucosum is a zoophilic fungus that is the most frequent aetiological agent of dermatophytosis in cattle. During the last few years, the number of cases of T. verrucosum from humans has been increasing constantly, which is correlated with the presence of cattle-rearing farms. We identified and analysed T. verrucosum strains isolated from humans and cattle. Identification was carried out traditionally by correlating both the clinical manifestations with a micro- and macroscopic examination. To confirm the species affiliation fully, molecular differentiation methods were used. Direct analysis revealed the presence of arthrospores. The macro- and micromorphology of the isolates obtained from material sampled was homogeneous, and characterised for T. verrucosum. The phylogenetic analysis based on the ITS sequences demonstrated that the strains formed a monophyletic group with T. verrucosum ATCC10 695 with a support of 99%. The MP-PCR analysis indicates high invariability of genomes of strains from humans and animals. MSP-fingerprinting analysis gives the same results as the MP-PCR analysis. To sum up, the rDNA ITS sequence analysis in combination with macro- and micro-morphology only facilitated T. verrucosum species identification without the possibility of intraspecific differentiation. Finding and testing methods, especially molecular technique, with sufficient discriminatory power, is the present challenge for mycologists.
During the last few years, the number of cases of Trichophyton verrucosum isolation from humans suffering from mycoses has been constantly increasing, which is correlated with the presence of an increasing number of outdoor breeding farms. Farmers and their families as well as veterinarians and technicians involved in handling the animals are at a higher risk of infection. One of the most important aims of mycological diagnostics is epidemiological analysis. Typically, the history of the disease is not sufficient to indicate reliably and eliminate the outbreak of infection. PCR fingerprinting methods are a useful tool in this type of analysis, which is presented in this study. The main aim is to present diagnostic and epidemiological analyses of dermatophyte isolates from llamas and their breeder. In two llamas, round alopecia sites or ca. 2‐cm excoriations covered with thickened scaling epidermis were noticed at the border of the head and neck with a distinct tendency towards hair loss. Tinea unguium was noticed in a nail of the breeder's right hand. Direct analysis of the material from the clinical lesions revealed the presence of arthrospores. The macro‐ and micromorphology of the isolates were homogeneous and characteristic for T. verrucosum. The identification analysis based on the ITS sequences confirmed the previous morphological diagnostic examination. The MP‐PCR and MSP‐PCR analysis indicated high invariability of the genomes of the strains isolated from the human and animals. The epidemiological research has indicated an identical source of dermatophyte infection in the breeder and the lamas. To sum up, the number of pets and farm animals is increasing and dermatologists should always be informed about possible dermatophyte transmission sources. The possibility of transmission of zoophilic dermatophytes from humans to animals is a suggestion for further analysis; therefore, this type of transmission should be considered in dermatological studies.
Profile of enzymes characteristic of individual species, genus or ecological types of dermatophytes is possibly dependent upon factors related to the host. The relationship between each enzyme and the occurrence of skin lesions in animals and humans or asymptomatic animal carriers varies on whether the infection is caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton verrucosum or Microsporum canis. Interestingly, only keratinase seems to be correlated with the appearance of dermatophyte infections, irrespective of the pathogen species, and elastase is a characteristic enzyme for dermatophyte strains infecting humans. Haemolysis seems to be dependent on host factors and is more common in the case of human dermatophyte isolates.
Fungal infections of the skin, hair, and nails are the most prevalent among all fungal infections, currently affecting over 20-25% of the world's human and animal populations. Dermatophytes are the etiological factors of the most superficial fungal infections. Among other pathogenic filamentous fungi, what distinguishes them is their unique attribute to degrade keratin. The remarkable ability of this group of fungi to survive in different ecosystems results from their morphological and ecological diversity as well as high adaptability to changing environmental conditions. Dermatophytes, although they are one of the oldest groups of microorganisms recognised as pathogens, have not been classified in a stable taxonomic system for a long time. In terms of diagnostics, dermatophytes still pose a serious problem in the identification procedure, which is often related to therapeutic errors. The increasing number of infections (including zoonoses), the lack of taxonomic stability, and the ambiguous clinical picture of dermatomycosis cases necessitate the search for new methods for the rapid, cheap, and reproducible species identification of these fungi. In turn, the species identification is determined by the clarity of classifi cation criteria combined with the taxonomic division generally accepted by microbiologists and referring to the views expressed by clinicians, epidemiologists, and scientists. In this paper, the authors present the evolution of taxonomic systems for dermatophytes over the history of microbiology development. The discovery of new facts about the biology and ecology of dermatophytes and the development of techniques applied in a mycological diagnosis laboratory facilitated the development of new identification strategies at various points in the history. The modern molecular classification system of these pathogens seems to be stable and widely accepted. However, will it end the long-standing classification confusion and the period of hundreds of nomenclatural changes, which are a diagnostician's nightmare? It can be argued that the taxonomy of dermatophytes, in particular that of anthropophilic species, is sufficiently established and stable for the benefit of both clinicians and scientists. 1. Wprowadzenie. 2. Pierwsze systemy klasyfikacji dermatofitów. 3. Fenotypowe systemy klasyfikacyjne. 4. "Biologiczna" era w klasyfi kacji. 5. Ekologiczny podział dermatofitów. 6. Molekularna rewolucja w taksonomii dermatofitów. 7. Problemy taksonomiczne w mykologii. 8. Kliniczny aspekt taksonomii dermatofitów. 9. Obecnie obowiązujący system klasyfikacyjny. 10. Nierozróżnialne "kompleksy gatunków". 11. Podsumowanie
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.