First Isolation of Arthroderma fulvum in Japan

First description of Arthroderma lilyanum in a rabbit with a focal alopecic area of the forelimb

Dermatophytosis is an important zoonotic disease in pet rabbits. While common clinical signs of dermatophytosis can occur, rabbits can also be asymptomatically infected. This case report describes a rabbit from Switzerland, with a focal alopecic area on one forepaw. Dermatophyte culture of a hair and skin sample taken from the lesion revealed growth of a dermatophyte, that was identified as the recently described species Arthroderma (A.) lilyanum by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and β-tubulin genes. After local treatment with a disinfectant containing octenidine dihydrochloride and phenoxyethanol twice daily for two weeks, the lesion fully healed. Although it is not clear whether the dermatophyte was responsible for the lesion or if it was an incidental finding with an asymptomatic infection, the current report shows, that the host spectrum and geographical distribution of A. lilyanum are broader than previously thought.

She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not: On the Dualistic Asexual/Sexual Nature of Dermatophyte Fungi

Dermatophytes are ascomycetous fungi whose sexuality is greatly influenced by their ecology. Sexual reproduction is ubiquitous among soil-related geophiles and some animal-associated zoophiles. In contrast, anthropophiles are generally present as a single mating type in the population and appear to reproduce asexually. In this article, the current knowledge on the sexuality of dermatophytes including reproduction modes, mating conditions, mating type distributions and the mating type (MAT) locus is presented in the context of revised taxonomy and discussed from an evolutionary perspective.

Antifungal Susceptibility of Japanese Isolates of Nannizia fulva (Formerly Microsporum fulvum)

Human and animal dermatophytoses are most commonly treated with systemic antifungal drugs such as itraconazole (ITZ) and terbinafine (TRF). The antifungal susceptibility of Nannizia fulva, however, remains poorly documented. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro susceptibility of N. fulva to ITZ and TRF using the CLSI M38-A2 test. The mean MICs for the 12 tested strains were 0.6542 mg/L (range: 0.0625-1 mg/L) for ITZ and 0.15625 mg/L (range: <0.003125-0.5 mg/L) for TRF. These results indicate that ITZ and TRF at standard veterinary doses should be efficacious against N. fulva.