An epidemiological study of animals dermatomycoses in Iran

To determine the fungal species isolated from skin lesions of different animals suspected of having dermatomycoses and their prevalence in different regions of Iran.

A total of 1011 animals (292 dogs, 229 cats, 168 horses, 100 camels, 98 cows, 60 squirrels, 37 birds, 15 sheep, 6 goats, 5 rabbits and 1 fox) suspected of having dermatomycoses were examined. The samples were obtained by plucking the hairs and feathers with forceps around the affected area and scraping the epidermal scales with a sterile scalpel blade. All collected samples were analyzed by direct microscopy and culture. Laboratory identification of the fungal isolates was based on their colonial, microscopic and biochemical characteristics.

Fungal agents were recovered from 553 (54.7%) animals suspected of having dermatomycoses. Of 553 confirmed cases, 255 (49.7%) were positive for dermatophytosis, 251 (45.4%) for Malassezia dermatitis, 14 (2.5%) for candidiasis, 12 (2.2%) for aspergillosis and 1 (0.2%) for zygomycosis. Cats (36.3%) were the most prevalent infected animals, followed by camels (13.4%), dogs (12.8%), horses (12.5%), cows (12.3%), squirrels (5.4%), birds (3.6%), sheep (2%), goats (1.1%), rabbits (0.4%) and fox (0.2%). Microsporum canis (M. canis) was the most frequent fungus isolated from dogs and fox, Malassezia pachydermatis (M. pachydermatis) from cats, horses and squirrels, Trichophyton verrucosum (T. verrucosum) from cows and camels, T. mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes from sheep, goats and rabbits, and Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) from birds.

The results suggested that periodic screening of animals suspected of having dermatomycoses and necessary treatments could help in the management of their public health problem.