title: Occurrence of Malassezia spp. in the external ear canals of dogs and cats with and without otitis externa.
abstract: We studied the lipophilic microbiota of the external ear canals of 332 animals (264 dogs and 68 cats), with and without otitis externa, over an 11-year period from 1988 to 1999. Malassezia pachydermatis was isolated from 62.2% and 50% of dogs with and without otitis externa, respectively, and from 41.2% and 17.6% of cats with and without otitis externa, respectively. In the group of animals studied for lipid-dependent species, these yeasts were isolated from 4.5% of dogs with otitis externa and from 23.1% and 8.9% of cats with and without otitis externa, respectively. M. sympodialis and M. furfur were isolated from cats and M. furfur and M. obtusa from dogs. Our findings show that lipid-dependent Malassezia species may contribute to the etiology of otitis externa in dogs and cats.
authors.affiliation: Department de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals (Microbiologia), Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Abarca
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Cabañes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002415:Cats; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004431:Ear, External / Q000382:microbiology*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008290:Malassezia / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*