Epidemiological survey of dermatophytosis in meat rabbits with alopecia in Portugal

Fernando Moreira

Portugal

Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD)

Laboratório de Microbiologia Médica, Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, CECAV

Alice Miranda

Portugal

Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD)

Laboratório de Microbiologia Médica, Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, CECAV

Adosinda Coelho

Portugal

Serviços de Veterinária do Norte

Divisão de Intervenção Veterinária de Vila Real

José Monteiro

Portugal

Sumicor

Ana Coelho

Portugal

Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD)

Laboratório de Microbiologia Médica, Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, CECAV

Submitted: 2012-02-07

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Accepted: 2012-02-07

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2012.1032
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Keywords:

Risk factors, prevalence, rabbits, dermatophytosis

Supporting agencies:

Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro

Abstract:

An epidemiological dermatophytosis survey was carried out in farmed rabbits with alopecia in Northern and Central Portugal.  Between August and October 2008, samples from suspected clinical cases of alopecia in meat rabbits on industrial farms were collected and cultured by conventional methods.  Effects on the prevalence of several variables, such as breed, age, month of sample collection, configuration of the lesions and presence of concomitant infections in the rabbitries were evaluated using a logistic regression model.  The overall prevalence of dermatophytes species was 82.7% (95% CI: 80.1-85.3%). Two dermatophytes species were isolated: Trichophyton mentagrophytes (91.9%) and Microsporum canis (8.1%).  Five variables were associated with dermatophyte isolation in univariate analysis.  The multivariate logistic regression model identified configuration of lesions (OR=3.15; 95% CI: 1.39-7.15%) and the presence of concomitant infections on the farms (OR=2.71; 95% CI: 1.03-7.12%) as risk factors.  Considering the paucity of epidemiological reports in this country, these results could make a useful contribution towards the diagnosis and prevention of rabbit dermatophytosis.
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