New Insights into Fungal Infections of Companion Animals and Wildlife

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 13092

Special Issue Editors

Department of Microbiology, Immunology, Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, CO 80523, USA
Interests: wildlife disease ecology; pathogens of felids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, 1601 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
Interests: mycology; zoonotic diseases; translational medicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, reported outbreaks of fungal infections in domestic and wild animal populations have significantly increased. Compared to viral or bacterial infections, identifying and diagnosing fungal agents associated with disease is more specialized and often requires more time for confirmation, leading to a delay in appropriate medical care and understanding of disease pathogenesis. Recent outbreaks of fungal infections in wildlife species, for example Bd in amphibians and Chytrid fungi in bat species, have resulted in high morbidity and mortality, resulting in the severe contraction of many species, and in some cases threatening extinction. Certain common fungal diseases of domestic animals, for example, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis, can result in zoonotic infection in humans. Other systemic mycoses, for example, coccidioidomycoses and blastomycoses, occur in both humans and animals and can be life threatening. The host and fungal pathogen characteristics that result in opportunistic or obligate disease are poorly characterized. It is thus crucial to develop a better understanding of the pathogenic and genetic underpinnings of fungal infections. Furthermore, there is a great need to develop rapid and accurate diagnostic methods and nontoxic, easily administered therapies to improve the detection and treatment of mycoses.

In this Special Issue of Pathogens, we therefore propose the topic of “Fungal Infections in Companion Animals and Wildlife”, with a specific focus on new advances in the field. We look forward to your valuable contributions in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Sue VandeWoude
Guest Editor
Dr. Alex Moskaluk
Co-Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • medical mycology
  • wildlife
  • companion animals
  • emerging mycoses

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1476 KiB  
Article
Subtyping Options for Microsporum canis Using Microsatellites and MLST: A Case Study from Southern Italy
by Chioma Inyang Aneke, Adéla Čmoková, Vít Hubka, Wafa Rhimi, Domenico Otranto and Claudia Cafarchia
Pathogens 2022, 11(1), 4; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pathogens11010004 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2206
Abstract
Microsporum canis is considered one of the most common zoophilic dermatophyte species causing infections in animals and humans worldwide. However, molecular epidemiological studies on this dermatophyte are still rare. In this study, we aimed to analyse the population structure and relationships between M. [...] Read more.
Microsporum canis is considered one of the most common zoophilic dermatophyte species causing infections in animals and humans worldwide. However, molecular epidemiological studies on this dermatophyte are still rare. In this study, we aimed to analyse the population structure and relationships between M. canis strains (n = 66) collected in southern Italy and those isolated from symptomatic and asymptomatic animals (cats, dogs and rabbits) and humans. For subtyping purposes, using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT), we first used a limited set of strains to screen for variability. No intraspecies variability was detected in six out of the eight reference genes tested and only the ITS and IGS regions showed two and three sequence genotypes, respectively, resulting in five MLST genotypes. All of eight genes were, however, useful for discrimination among M. canis, M. audouinii and M. ferrugineum. In total, eighteen microsatellite genotypes (A–R) were recognized using MLMT based on six loci, allowing a subdivision of strains into two clusters based on the Bayesian iterative algorithm. Six MLMT genotypes were from multiple host species, while 12 genotypes were found only in one host. There were no statistically significant differences between clusters in terms of host spectrum and the presence or absence of lesions. Our results confirmed that the MLST approach is not useful for detailed subtyping and examining the population structure of M. canis, while microsatellite analysis is a powerful tool for conducting surveillance studies and gaining insight into the epidemiology of infections due to this pathogen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Fungal Infections of Companion Animals and Wildlife)
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Review

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23 pages, 2203 KiB  
Review
Current Topics in Dermatophyte Classification and Clinical Diagnosis
by Alex E. Moskaluk and Sue VandeWoude
Pathogens 2022, 11(9), 957; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pathogens11090957 - 23 Aug 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 10307
Abstract
Dermatophytes are highly infectious fungi that cause superficial infections in keratinized tissues in humans and animals. This group of fungi is defined by their ability to digest keratin and encompasses a wide range of species. Classification of many of these species has recently [...] Read more.
Dermatophytes are highly infectious fungi that cause superficial infections in keratinized tissues in humans and animals. This group of fungi is defined by their ability to digest keratin and encompasses a wide range of species. Classification of many of these species has recently changed due to genetic analysis, potentially affecting clinical diagnosis and disease management. In this review, we discuss dermatophyte classification including name changes for medically important species, current and potential diagnostic techniques for detecting dermatophytes, and an in-depth review of Microsporum canis, a prevalent zoonotic dermatophyte. Fungal culture is still considered the “gold standard” for diagnosing dermatophytosis; however, modern molecular assays have overcome the main disadvantages of culture, allowing for tandem use with cultures. Further investigation into novel molecular assays for dermatophytosis is critical, especially for high-density populations where rapid diagnosis is essential for outbreak prevention. A frequently encountered dermatophyte in clinical settings is M. canis, which causes dermatophytosis in humans and cats. M. canis is adapting to its primary host (cats) as one of its mating types (MAT1-2) appears to be going extinct, leading to a loss of sexual reproduction. Investigating M. canis strains around the world can help elucidate the evolutionary trajectory of this fungi. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Fungal Infections of Companion Animals and Wildlife)
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