Isolation of dermatophytes from the hair coat of healthy Persian cats without skin lesions from commercial catteries located in São Paulo metropolitan area, Brazil
Nitta, Cayo YujiDaniel, Alexandre Gonçalves TeixeiraTaborda, Carlos PelleschiSantana, Aline ElisaLarsson, Carlos Eduardo
Background: The study of the epidemiological chain of dermatophytosis, particularly those related to zoophilic fungi, is extremely important because of its frequent occurrence, the high infectivity of the agent, and its anthropozoonotic character. In all latitudes, asymptomatic cats are considered the main reservoirs and sources of dermatophyte infection. The study aimed to characterize the frequency of dermatophyte infection and the potential risk of microsporic infection to the owners and to possible buyers of apparently healthy Persian cats from commercial catteries of São Paulo, Brazil. Materials, Methods & Results: Fur samples were obtained from 61 clinically healthy Persian cats, which were devoid of typical cutaneous lesions and had negative results in Woods lamp examination. The average age of the cats was 37.7 months; 18 (29.5%) of them were males and 43 (70.5%) were females. The cats were from commercial catteries located in the metropolitan region of São Paulo state capital. Samples were obtained using the technique of Mariat & Adam using a square (25 cm2 ) of sterile carpet rubbed across the surface of the hair-coat and skin. People who had close contact with the animals were asked whether they had had typical ringworm lesions in the recent past or at the time of sample collection. The material collected was pressed onto Petri dishes containing agar [...](AU)
Texto completo