Bovine Dermatophytosis Caused by Trychophyton Verrucosum

Outbreak of acute bovine dermatophytosis in a large scale dairy herd in Arusha region of Tanzania is described. Clinical history of the condition complimented with detailed examination of the affected animals (33.3%, 14/42) revealed that animals were pastured during the day and padlocked at night. The main clinical signs presented were gray-white, discrete, crusty, circumscribed extensive lesion all over the body. Skin scrapings were taken from the lesions for mites and fungal isolation and characterization. Pinched off lesion were examined in 30 % KOH preparations and scrapping were directly streaked on 0 Trichophyton Agar and incubated at 37 C. Bacteriological and fungal stain of the colonies revealed positive mycotic structures spherical, pyriform to calvate often of irregular shape which is characteristic of Trychophyton verrucosum. The isolation and morphological identification of T. verrucosum supported the clinical diagnosis. Considering the large number of animals involved, and the severity of the lesions, that necessitated veterinary intervention, it would be necessary to asses the prevalence and economic importance of the disease in dairy herd establishments in Tanzania. Arusha, Cattle, Tanzania, T. verrucosum