Dermatophytes isolated from selected ruminants in India

A survey was carried out in different areas of Utter Pradesh for isolating and identifying dermatophytes from ruminants. Out of 102 skin scrapings, collected from various animals, 4/22 cattle, 1/9 buffalo, 14/44 sheep and 2/28 goats were KOH positive. In respect of the cattle, the culture positive samples yielded one strain each of Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, T. simii and two strains of Microsporum gypseum. From the buffaloes examined, only one case yielded a dermatophyte and it was identified as T. mentagrophytes. In respect of the sheep, two samples were culture positive and the dermatophyte was T. mentagraphytes (2). Of the 28 goat scrapings, only two harboured dermatophytes viz., M. gypseum and T. mentagrophytes. Fungi other than dermatophytes isolated from the ruminants were Alternaria species, Aspergillus species, Beauveria bassiana, Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Curvularia species, Penicillium species, Pseudoarachniotus roseus and T. terrestre. Isolation of T. rubrum from the skin lesion of one of the cattle is noteworthy, since this dermatophyte is better known as an anthrophilic species.