Frequency of dermatophyte fungi in hair coats of domestic cats

• Grant number: 14/13877-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2014
• End date: August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Sandra de Moraes Gimenes Bosco
• Grantee: Francine Pereira Veneziani Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Dermatophytosis, also called ringworm, are superficial skin infections caused by dermatophytes, which are filamentous fungi that invade keratinized tissues. Dermatophytes are the only fungi capable of invading and residing in keratinized tissues infecting the skin and follicular epithelium, the hair coat and nail of canine, feline, equine, bovine, swine and wild mammals, besides humans. The feline, followed by humans, presents itself as the most frequently specie involved in outbreaks of ringworm and domestic cats are a major reservoir and source of infection of dermatophytic spores. Due to the risk of transmission of dermatophyte fungi to other animals and humans, constituting one of the most important zoonosis, infected cats or asymptomatic carriers need to be identified and addressed to ensure the prevention and control of dermatophytosis. This project aims to evaluate the frequency of dermatophytes in the fur of domestic cats, from the culture on Mycosel agar of the fur obtained from 100 cats.