The effectiveness of the drug “Immunokor” in assessing the immune status of feral cats in a kennel with dermatophytosis

The article describes the results of immunological blood studies in wild cats (caracals, servals, and caracatas) with spontaneous dermatophytosis. It was found that in the nursery of 40 wild animals, 23 had fungal skin lesions. 5 out of 10 caracal cats became ill, 7 out of 12 servals, and 11 out of 18 caracatas. Control and experimental groups of animals were formed taking into account the genus. Experimental group I (E1) was represented by five sick cats of the caracal genus, II (E2) by seven servals, and III (E3) by 11 caracatas of the F1–F4 generation. Conditionally healthy wild cats and cats of the corresponding genera served as controls (n = 5), which were isolated from patients, could be carriers of the infection, but did not have clinical manifestations of pathology. Treatment of dermatophytosis was comprehensive and included general preventive measures and specific therapy (TROPICAL Fungicide (Ideal), intraconazole). Given the importance of the immune system for the prevention and treatment of dermatophytosis in animals, we studied the effectiveness of the triazole-based immunostimulating agent “Immunokor”. On the 7th, 14th, and 21st day from the onset of the disease, animals of groups E2 and E3 were administered the studied agent intramuscularly. Cats-caraquets (group E1) were vaccinated with the drug “Biofel M”, but “Immunokor” was not used. In the course of the studies, it was found that against the background of dermatophytosis in cats, immunosuppression develops: in the blood of animals with symptoms of skin lesions, BASK, FAN decrease; the content of CIC increases; against the background of a reduction in the total number of T-lymphocytes, the percentage of T-suppressors increases; the concentration of IL-1 and IL-6 increased. When studying the immunological blood parameters of animals of group E3, which received the drug “Immunokor” in the treatment regimen, it was found that they dynamically changed about similar ones at the beginning of the disease and to animals of the control group. The BASC of the blood in the recovered animals exceeded the BASC of animals with symptoms of dermatophytosis by 13.4 % (P < 0.05), and the phagocytic activity of neutrophils by 45.7 % (P < 0.01). The content of CIC in the blood was significantly lower (P < 0.05) (by 12.0 %). The percentage of T-helpers increased by 3.3 % (P < 0.05) and T-suppressors significantly decreased (by 21.9 %). The IgG concentration in the blood increased by 40.9 % (P < 0.01), and the level of IL-1 and IL-6 was lower by 18.9 and 12.9 %, respectively. It was confirmed that the use of the drug Immunocor in the complex therapy of dermatophytosis contributes to the strengthening of the immunoresistance of animals, improves the immune response to fungal infection, which ensured a faster (by 6–7 days) complete recovery of animals and prevented relapses of a similar etiology.