Microsporum canis
| Microsporum canis | ||||||||||||
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Macroconidia of M. canis |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Microsporum canis | ||||||||||||
| E. Bodin ex Guég. |
Microsporum canis is a parasitic fungus ( dermatophyte ) that occurson the skin. It is acommon cause of dermatophytosis , especially in cats ( cat fungus ) and dogs,and belongs to the zoophilic dermatophytes. It can also cause disease in humans and other mammals, making it a zoonotic pathogen . The infection with M. canis ( microsporia ) is the most common “holiday dermatophytosis” because in southern countries over 90% of stray animals are infected, sometimes without showing any signs of illness themselves. In the native cat population, around 20% of the animals, mostly asymptomatic, are carriers.
On nutrient media, the fungus forms cotton-wool-like and sharply demarcated colonies that are initially creamy white, later orange-yellow in color. In the microscopic picture it shows septate hyphae and a few smooth and club-shaped microconidia along the hyphae. The numerous spindle-shaped macroconidia are 10–25 × 35–110 µm in size, have 6 to 18 chambers, nodular ends and a thick, rough wall.
literature
- Ch. Noli and F. Scarampella: Practical dermatology in dogs and cats. Schlütersche, Hannover 2004, ISBN 3-87706-726-3
Individual evidence
- ↑ H.-J. Tietz and Renate Hämmerling: The importance of zoophilic dermatophytes for humans and anthropophilic zoonoses for animals. In: Prakt. Tierarzt 88 (2007), pp. 78-86.