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Dermatophytosis

Trichophyton mentagrophytes is the predominant dermat­ophyte among mice, although other dermatophytes, including Microsporum canis, have been isolated. Both are nonselective in their host range and can infect other laboratory animals and humans.

Two varieties of T. mentagrophytes have been recovered from mice: T. mentagrophytes var. quinckeanum and T. mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes. Dermatophytosis was once com­mon among laboratory mice. Lesions attributed to T. mentagrophytes include alopecia and focal crusts, par­ticularly on the head, but the majority of infections are subclinical. Subclinical carriers have been shown to occur in high prevalence in some mouse populations. It is now rare except in pet mice, but its true prevalence in laboratory mouse colonies is unclear, since the great majority of infections are subclinical, especially among adult mice. The most severe manifestation, favus, is usually associated with T. mentagrophytes var. quinckea- num. Favus is characterized by dull yellow, cuplike crusts on the muzzle, head, ears, face, tail, and extremities. These crusts are composed of epithelial debris, exudate, mycelia, and masses of arthrospores, with underlying dermatitis. Hair invasion has not been observed in mouse favus. Other predisposing factors probably play a role in the manifestation of favus.

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Source: Barthold Stephen W., Griffey Stephen M., Percy Dean H.. Pathology of Laboratory Rodents and Rabbits. 4th Edition. — Wiley-Blackwell,2016. — 384 p.. 2016
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