Diagnostic results in animal dermatophytoses.

Superficial mycoses caused by dermatophytes, as well as asymptomatic carriership of dermatophytes, have a high prevalence among domestic animals and pets. We examined 606 clinical specimens from skin lesions of animals with a significant tendency towards superficial mycosis due to their clinical features. Samples were obtained from horses, dogs, cats, small rodents, birds, and rabbits. The specimens were examined by microscopic and cultural techniques. Microscopically, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of structures which may develop fungal elements between the groups culturally positive or negative for dermatophytes and yeasts. Overall, 24.6% of the samples were microscopically positive. In specimens obtained from horses, a high contamination rate of 36%, mostly due to moulds, was found with a cycloheximide supplemented medium, making the examination of these cultures for the growth of dermatophytes impossible. The other animals showed a significantly lower contamination rate, 11% on average. In horses, Trichophyton equinum had the highest prevalence, in small rodents. Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and in cats Microsporum canis. Overall, 10% of the culturally examinable samples were positive for dermatophytal or yeast growth, though yeasts had only a very low isolation frequency.