Allergy to Fungi in Veterinary Medicine: Alternaria, Dermatophytes and Malassezia Pay the Bill!

Abstract

The fungal kingdom comprises ubiquitous forms of life with 1.5 billion years, mostly phytopathogenic and commensals for humans and animals. However, in the presence of immune disorders, fungi may cause disease by intoxicating, infecting or sensitizing with allergy. Species from the genera Alternaria, Aspergillus and Malassezia, as well as dermatophytes from the genera Microsporum, Trichophyton and Epidermophyton, are the most commonly implicated in veterinary medicine. Alternaria and Malassezia stand as the most commonly associated with either allergy or infection in animals, immediately followed by Aspergillus, while dermatophytes are usually associated with the ringworm skin infection. By aiming at the relevance of fungi in veterinary allergy it was concluded that further research is still needed, especially in the veterinary field.

Keywords: Alternaria; Aspergillus; Malassezia; allergy; dermatophytes; fungal allergens; immunocompetence; indoor/outdoor allergens.

Figure 1

Chronic dermatitis in allergic dogs presenting Malassezia overgrowth. (a) Facial intertriginous dermatitis; (b) Lichenification associated with chronic dermatitis; (c) Hyperkeratosis and early lichenification in chronic dermatitis; (d) Ear pinnae chronic dermatitis with lichenification; (e) Skin cytology showing Malassezia overgrowth (400x) (Diff-Quick stain); (f,g) Chronic interdigital dermatitis.