Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dermatophytosis (ringworm) in shelter cats in the Northwestern US
By DeTar, Lena G et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2019·Animal Medical Learning Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Descriptive epidemiology and test characteristics of cats diagnosed withdermatophytosis in a Northwestern US animal shelter.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats at a shelter in the Northwestern US was found to have a skin infection called dermatophytosis (a type of fungal infection). Kittens were much more likely to be affected than adult cats, and the infection was more common during the summer and autumn months. Tests like the Wood's lamp examination were somewhat helpful but not perfect, while a culture test was very effective in confirming the infection. Improving testing methods could help get these cats treated faster and improve their chances of finding new homes.
People also search for: cat skin infection treatment · kitten fungal infection symptoms · how to test for cat dermatophytosis
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aims of this descriptive study were to identify risk factors for felineinfection at shelter intake, to describe screening test accuracy, and to refine confirmatory testing time frames. METHODS: Database records for the general feline population and intake data, medical records and fungal culture logs for cats diagnosed withat a limited admissions shelter were accessed retrospectively for a period of 2 years. RESULTS: The feline population at the study shelter had a prevalence ofof 1.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6-2.0%). Kittens were eight (95% CI 4.8-13.5) times more likely to present with dermatophytosis than adults. Although more cats presented withduring summer and autumn, season was not significant when the model was controlled for age. Owner-surrendered cats were half as likely (95% CI 0.41-0.77) as transported cats to be diagnosed with. Wood's lamp examinations had a sensitivity of 66.8% (95% CI 60.2-73.4) and a specificity of 74.8% (95% CI 64.2-85.1) compared with dermatophyte test medium (DTM) culture. In 78.8% (95% CI 61-91) of littermate or household groups with mixed Wood's lamp results, all cats were DTM culture positive. Under consistent incubation conditions, 202/202 diagnostic DTM plates for-infected cats showed recognizable colony growth before 7 days (median 4 days), and 19/19 fomite carrier cat cultures showed growth before 12 days (median 5 days). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Applying the results of this study to shelter protocols could optimize diagnostic approaches and shorten the length of stay for shelter cats and kittens, resulting in streamlined shelter operations and improved feline welfare.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30776947/