Nannizzia species causing dermatophytosis in cats and dogs: First report of Nannizzia incurvata as an etiological agent in Brazil

Abstract

Dermatophytosis is a superficial cutaneous infection, most commonly caused by fungal species such as Microsporum canis, Nannizzia gypsea (Microsporum gypseum) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes in dogs and cats. The zoonotic potential of these species is concerning, as companion animals are increasingly close to their owners. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to evaluate the current prevalence of Nannizzia causing canine and feline dermatophytosis in Curitiba and Metropolitan Region, as well as perform phenotypic and phylogenetic characterization of these isolates. Thus, 241 skin and fur samples from 163 dogs and 78 cats were analyzed from 2020 to 2021. The samples were obtained from animals of three sources: Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Paraná, animal shelter, and private clinics. The diagnosis was performed through phenotypic characterization and sequencing ITS rDNA region. Among 97 positive samples for dermatophytes, Nannizzia were identified in 14 (14.4%) samples, while other dermatophyte genus were found in the remaining 83 (85.6%) samples. Amongst canine samples, nine (90%) were N. gypsea, and one (10%) was N. incurvata. Whereas in feline samples, three (75%) were N. gypsea, and one (25%) was N. incurvata. It was concluded that among 97 animals infected with dermatophytes, dogs (24.4%; 10/41) were significantly more affected by Nannizzia than cats (7.1%; 4/56) (p<0.05). According to molecular analyses, the ITS rDNA region provided satisfactory results for species-level identification of Nannizzia, confirming the first report of N. incurvata as an etiological agent of canine and feline dermatophytosis in Brazil.