Monitoring of dermatophytosis incidence in domestic dogs and cats in the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine

Abstract

The spread of dermatophytosis among animals and humans in the localities of Ukraine in particular in the city of Kharkiv is due to the presence of range of the most susceptible animals. This information mainly concerns dogs and cats that can be affected by dermatophytosis and may be a reservoir of dermatophyte fungus. Particularly important is that domestic dogs and cats represent a significant epidemiological threat to the population. The purpose of the research was to monitor the morbidity of dermatophytosis in domestic dogs and cats in Kharkiv. Diagnostic studies of dermatophytosis morbidity level determination in domestic dogs and cats were performed complexly including the clinical and epizootic data, microscopic and mycological laboratory tests conducted according to generally accepted methods (Kovalenko et al., 2017; Sutton, Fothergill and Rinaldi, 2001). Dermatophytosis was diagnosed among 231 animals in the study of 1,277 domestic dogs kept by the inhabitants of the city of Kharkiv which was in 18.09% of samples. Dermatophytosis was also detected in 615 animals which constitutes 50.25% in the study of 1,124 cats. The cultures of dermatophytosis agent Microsporum canis were isolated from 126 dogs (18.98%) and 110 cats (40.74%). Trichophyton mentagrophytes cultures were isolated from 16 dogs (2.41%) and 16 cats (5.93%). The percentage of isolated cultures of mold and yeast-like fungi in the studies of sick dogs and cats were 38.55% and 22.25% respectively. Obtained results indicate quite high level of the dermatophytosis spreading among domestic dogs and cats in the city of Kharkiv.