[Superficial infections caused by Microsporum canis in humans and animals].
Dermatophytic infections caused by M. canis in humans and animals have a world wide distribution and they are zoonotic. The objective in this work was to know the frequency of M. canis infections in humans and pets. We studied our cases from January 1994 to December 2002. The human samples were obtained from a Dermatological Department in a General Hospital and we registered the next data: age, sex, job, and affected area. The animal samples were obtained from a mycological veterinary laboratory, and we registered the presence or absence of clinical lesions. A total of 46 clinical cases of M. canis infections were recorded, 26 female and 20 males: tinea capitis 21, tinea corporis 17, tinea pedis five, onychomycosis two, and only one case with tinea faciei. The 46 cases with positive culture yield 42 positive samples in KOH. The age range varied from 2 to 60 years. Among the animals, we studied 461 dogs and found six KOH positive (1%) samples and cultured 23 isolates (4.98%): 21 M. canis, one M. gypseum and one Trichophyton spp. From the 68 samples of cats, eight (11.76%) were positive to KOH, being 26 (38.23%) M. canis isolates. In M. canis infections in humans, the age rage was wide with predominance in women. In animals, M. canis isolates represented the most dermatophytic infection.
Sección de Micrología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, UNAM, México D.F., Mexico.
Carolina
C
Segundo
Alejandrina
A
Martínez
Roberto
R
Arenas
Ramón
R
Fernández
Roberto A
RA
Cervantes
D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002415:Cats; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008864:Microsporum / Q000302:isolation & purification