Todayโs path rounds are on ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐๐ข๐ง ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ is a bacterial infection of the skin, affecting many different species. It is also called ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐จ๐จ๐ฅ in sheep and ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ญ ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ in cattle. This disease can also transfer to humans!
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Pretty much any species can get this, but we most commonly see it in cattle, sheep, goats and horses.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Rain rot is caused by the bacteria ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ. This bacteria is interesting because it behaves like a fungus, having both a ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ and ๐ณ๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ form similar to many fungi. Zoospores are the infective form that attaches to the skin. If the skinโs normal immune system is weakened by insect bites, excessive moisture, wounds or irritation, the zoospores can set up an infection. To do this, they transform into long hyphae that can extend deeply into the skin.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
Dermatophilus causes inflammation of the skin, leading to matting of the hair, crusting and scabbing. Tufts of hair can be easily pulled off, revealing wounds in the underlying skin. Severely affected animals may experience significant hair loss.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
The easiest method of diagnosis is looking at a scab under the microscope! The bacteria forms a characteristic ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง pattern that is easily identified.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐?
Treatment typically involves keeping the animal dry, controlling insects and removing any sources of skin irritation. In severe cases, antibiotics or special antimicrobial shampoos may be needed to help get the infection under control.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-4) Animals with rain rot!
5-6) Railroad tracks under the microscope.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Moriello KA. Dermatophilosis in animals. Merck Veterinary Manual 2020.
Photos 1-6 Noahโs Arkive contributor Nation, Mosier, King, Williams, Latimer, Rimoldi licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
