This article reports the first verified cases of infection by Trichophyton bullosum in Africa since the description of the fungus, isolated in 1933 from the coat of horses in Tunisia and Mali. We found the fungus in cutaneous samples obtained from donkeys suffering from severe dermatitis with areas of alopecia and scaling in the surroundings of Cairo (Egypt). Fungal elements (arthroconidia and hyphae) were seen at the microscopy of material collected by skin scraping and digested in NaOH. Fungal colonies grown on various culture media were identified through PCR and sequencing of the ITS rDNA region. Since the original report in Africa and the Middle East, only a few cases have been reported thus far in humans in France and two cases in horses in the Czech Republic and Japan. Trichophyton bullosum seems thus an infrequent cause of dermatophytosis. However, the actual prevalence of this pathogen may be underestimated due to the similarity with T. verrucosum, a predominant cause of infection in cattle, occasionally found on horses and donkeys. Indeed, the two fungi can be distinguished only via molecular methods, which are poorly employed in epidemiological studies on equine and bovine dermatophytosis. The present study results add to our knowledge on the ecology of this poorly explored dermatophyte, supporting the concept that equines are the primary hosts of T. bullosum and confirming the presence of this pathogen in Africa. At the same time, these are the first unequivocally documented infections in donkeys due to T. bullosum.
- MeSH
- Arthrodermataceae * genetika MeSH
- Equidae MeSH
- koně MeSH
- skot MeSH
- tinea * epidemiologie mikrobiologie veterinární MeSH
- Trichophyton genetika MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- skot MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- severní Afrika MeSH
Zoophilic dermatophytes are frequently responsible for superficial mycoses in mammals worldwide. They comprise approximately ten specialized parasitic fungi belonging to genera Trichophyton and Microsporum. Due to contagious nature of the disease, the majority of species possess potential to cause outbreaks at least in their principal host(s) and at the same time have the capability to infect a wide spectrum of mammals, including humans. The purpose of this chapter is to trace the current changes in the epidemiology of animal-infecting dermatophytes that show large geographic differences and dynamically alter over time. Emphasis is given not only to the most important and widespread dermatophyte species representing global issue for both animal and human medicine (Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and T. verrucosum) but also to newly emerging pathogens such as T. benhamiae, an agent of epidemic dermatophytosis in Europe frequently affecting guinea pigs and their breeders or owners. The methods for identification and molecular typing of dermatophytes are summarized due to their importance for outbreak detection and epidemiological surveillance. Strategies for management and prevention of outbreaks are also presented.
