Todayโs path rounds are on ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ is a fungal infection of the skin that produces characteristic round areas of hair loss on the animal.
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Any species can get this!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Ringworm, contrary to the name, is not actually caused by a worm. It can be caused by a few different fungi genera, such as ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฆ, ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ก๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ๐ญ๐จ๐ง or ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ๐ญ๐จ๐ง. These fungi can live in the soil, on animals or on humans. An animal will acquire these fungi through direct contact with affected animals or an infected environment.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
For healthy animals, these fungi typically donโt cause any issues at all. However, in immunosuppressed, stressed, or young animals, or animals that have skin damage from being consistently damp, the fungus can set up shop and cause infection. Typically, this fungus likes to live in the hair follicles, where they cause the hair to become quite brittle. This leads to the ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ (lack of hair) characteristically seen with this disease. These lesions can be quite itchy, and may become ulcerated.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
The best method for diagnosis is examining a hair under a microscope! Typically you can see the little fungal friends along the hair, to help make the diagnosis. To confirm it, the veterinarian can do a fungal culture to identify the specific fungus involved.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ญ: Some species of ringworm will glow under a UV light! Wild.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐?
In most generally healthy animals, ringworm will resolve on its own. If it doesnโt clear, then ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ medications, including ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ (applied to the skin) medications, can be used to help that animal out. It is also important to remember to clean the animalโs environment, as they could easily pick it up again after being cured!
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-5) Examples of ringworm on cows, a horse and a dog.
6) What a pathologist might see on a skin biopsy under a microscope! This particular slide has a special stain that highlights fungal hyphae, making them bright pink!
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Maxie, G. Jubb, Kennedy and Palmerโs Pathology of Domestic Animals, Volume 1. Sixth Edition.
Photos 1-6 ยฉ Noahโs Arkive contributors Doster, Saunders, King, Jakowski, McGavin, Medleau licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
