Abstract

The objective of the current study was to detect the species of fungi that infected dogs and cats. Sixty six dogs and twenty nine cats were presented to the Baghdad veterinary hospital, during the period from the beginning of December 2014 to the end of April 2015, showing signs of itching. Thorough clinical examinations were carried out, followed by exposing to the affected skin to UV light, followed by skin scraping, then, direct microscopical examination of the hair, with lactophenol cotton blue stain was used for the demonstration of spores and hyphae. Culturing of the scraped skin samples was done on sabouraud dextrose agar, incubated at 37 ° C for seven days. Identification of fungus was based on the morphological characters of cultures, three species were identified; the Alternaria, Aspergillus and Geotrichum species, the total infection rate of mycotic skin infection was 21.05%. A significantlly (P< 0.05) high rate of infection occurred by the Alternaria species (15%) and the significant rate of infection was lowered by the Geotrichum species (3%). A significant increase (P≤ 0.05) in the rate of Alternaria infection was observed on December and January, whereas a significant increase (P≤ 0.05) of the infection rate by Aspergillus niger occurred on March and April while, the Geotrichum species showed a significant increase (P≤ 0.05) on February. The clinical signs varied in severity, sever signs occurred in cats by the Geotrichum species. Conclusively the uncommon mycotic infection might have increased, according to seasonal variation; also unexpected severe signs may have resulted from allergic dermatitis reaction rather than mycotic infection. Furthermore, the wide prevalent of spores might have initiated a great risk to humans, as it causes bronchopulmonary allergy or/and pulmonary infection.

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