Molecular and diagnostic study of dermatophytosis in cats in Basrah, Iraq

Cats can develop skin diseases caused by fungal organisms called dermatophytes, generally called ringworms. Dermatophytosis is a zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans and is a worldwide public health issue. This study examined feline dermatophytosis in cats in Basra province – Iraq. Eighty cats of different ages, sexes, and breeds clinically infected with dermatophytosis underwent a fungal culture and molecular analysis. Sixty-nine (86.3%) of the 80 samples were positive on the fungal culture media, but 57 out of the 69 samples were positive for the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1). By contrast, only 41 of the 69 samples tested positive for chitin synthase 1 (specific for Microsporum canis). The isolated M. canis was subjected to sequencing analyses and deposited in the gene bank. In conclusion, this study documented M. canis among infected cats in Basrah, Iraq.