BACKGROUND: Species from the Trichophyton benhamiae complex are mostly zoophilic dermatophytes which cause inflammatory dermatophytosis in animals and humans worldwide. OBJECTIVES: This study was purposed to (a) to identify 169 reference and clinical dermatophyte strains from the T benhamiae complex species by molecular method and adhering to the newest taxonomy in the complex (b) to evaluate the in vitro antifungal susceptibility profile of these strains against eight common and new antifungal agents that may be used for the treatment of dermatophytosis. METHODS: All isolates, mainly originated from Europe but also from Iran, Japan and USA, were subjected to ITS-rDNA sequencing. The in vitro antifungal susceptibility profiles of eight common and new antifungal drugs against the isolates were determined by CLSI M38-A2 protocol and according to microdilution method. RESULTS: Based on the ITS-rDNA sequencing, T benhamiae was the dominant species (n = 102), followed by T europaeum (n = 29), T erinacei (n = 23), T japonicum (n = 10), Trichophyton sp (n = 4) and T eriotrephon (n = 1). MIC ranges across all isolates were as follows: luliconazole: 0.0002-0.002 µg/ml, terbinafine: 0.008-0.125 µg/ml, efinaconazole: 0.008-0.125 µg/ml, ciclopirox olamine: 0.03-0.5 µg/ml, itraconazole: 0.06-2 µg/ml, griseofulvin: 0.25-4 µg/ml, amorolfine hydrochloride: 0.125-4 µg/ml and tavaborole: 1-16 µg/ml. CONCLUSION: Luliconazole, efinaconazole and terbinafine were the most potent antifungals against T benhamiae complex isolates, regardless of the geographic locations where strains were isolated. These data might help dermatologists to develop effective therapies for successful treatment of infections due to T benhamiae complex species.

Allergy Research Center Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Mashhad Iran

Department of Botany Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology Faculty of Medicine Urmia University of Medical Sciences Urmia Iran

Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology School of Medicine Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz Iran

Department of Medical Mycology School of Medicine Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences Ahvaz Iran

Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology School of Medicine Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran

Department of Medical Parasitology School of Medicine Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences Ahvaz Iran

Dynamic Research Group UPEC EnvA USC Anses Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort Maisons Alfort France

Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center Health Research Institute Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences Ahvaz Iran

Laboratory of Fungal Genetics and Metabolism Institute of Microbiology Czech Academy of Sciences Vídeňská Czech Republic

Medicinal Plant Research Center Yasuj University of Medical Sciences Yasuj Iran

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