Diversity of fungal species associated with dermatological affections in companion dogs and cats in the Greater Cairo area, Egypt: A cross-sectional study | ||||
| Microbes and Infectious Diseases | ||||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 10 July 2025 | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/mid.2025.382520.2768 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
Hassan Aboul Ella  1; Ahmed Elhamaky2; Heidy Abo-Elyazeed1
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| 1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, 12211, Egypt | ||||
| 2Department of Mycology, Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza, 12619, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Different dermatophytes and non-dermatophyte keratinophilic fungi are mainly responsible for primary and secondary fungal colonization of the skin of humans and animals. This study aimed to determine the diversity of fungal species associated with various dermatological conditions in companion animals, including dogs and cats, using direct microscopic examination, primary mycological isolation, and additional identification methods such as microculture, biochemical tests, HICHROME Candida differential agar, the VITEK 2 Compact Identification system, DNA extraction, and PCR. Methods: The study was conducted over four months (June 2023–September 2023) on 110 cutaneous lesions (cutaneous swabs, hair, and skin scraps), based on the availability of clinical cases in the designed study period, were collected from companion animals all over the Greater Cairo Area (GCA), Egypt. Cohen’s kappa correlation test has been performed on the results of both direct microscopic examinations and cultures, and a substantial correlation agreement has been recorded between the two examination methods. Results: A wide range of fungal species have been recovered, and out of the 110 samples, the prevalence of infection was 42 (38.18%) positive fungal cultures. The isolated fungal species included 16 (38.09%) Candida albicans (C. albicans), 12 (28.57%) Microsporum canis (M. canis), 6 (14.28%) Malassezia pachydermatis (M. pachydermatis), 4 (9.52%) Candida tropicalis (C. tropicalis), 3 (7.14%) Alternaria alternata (A. alternata), and 1 (2.38%) Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (R. mucilaginosa). Conclusion: It is worth noting that most of the fungal species that have been recovered from the companion animals in the present study are zoonotic and may pose a hidden public health threat to humans. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| dermatomycosis; pet animals; public health; fungal zoonosis; companion animals | ||||
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