Prevalence of dermatophyte infections in cats in Ramadi and Fallujah Cities, Iraq

Dermatophytosis, which is characterized by superficial infection of keratinized tissues, is the most frequent fungal disease in small animal veterinary medicine. Diagnosing dermatophytosis purely according to clinical indications is problematic because dermatological findings vary, and various other skin diseases resemble the characteristic fungal lesion.

This study aimed to detect the prevalence of dermatophytes in pet cats with skin lesions who presented to private veterinary clinics in Ramadi and Fallujah cities, Iraq.

The current research presents the laboratory findings of an extensive survey examining the fungal etiology of skin disorders by analyzing skin-scraping specimens from cats with clinical suspicion of dermatophytosis. Samples were collected from one hundred and thirty-six cats (n = 136) in several veterinary clinics in Ramadi and Fallujah, and presented with a case history of skin lesions from early February 2023 until the end of December 2024. All cats were checked using Wood's Lamp U.V. light pin, and direct microscopic examination and fungal culture were performed using Dermatophytes Test Media DTM.

All samples showed positive results for the Wood's Lamp test; the percentage of positive dermatophyte specimens was 64 [47%]. Microsporum canis was identified in all cultures that tested positive for dermatophytes and was the most common fungus species in cats.

The study concluded that dermatophytes are highly prevalent in crossbreeds, males, and young animals, and high infection rates are reported in the winter season.