Skin Diseases

1^^ ingworm is a fungal in■ Mfection of the skin (derCalves commonly are affected in several spots around matomycosis) that occurs comthe face, eyelids, ears, and monly in calves and neck, although lesions can ococcasionally in adult cattle. It cur anywhere on the body. is contagious; therefore, when Adult cattle, when affected, one calf in a group develops tend to have more generalized the problem, many calves usulesions on the face, neck, ally are affected. The causatrunk, and tail region. tive agent generally is TrichoSpread of ringworm ocphyton verrucosum, a fungus curs through body contact and that lives on the skin of cattle inanimate objects such as and other livestock. brushes or blankets used on The signs of ringworm are an infected animal and then hair loss and development of used on other animals. This heavy gray-white crusts at the problem can be transmitted to site of infection. The lesions humans very easily and is an do not cause itching. If the important public health probcrusts are scraped or cleared lem for farm workers and vetaway, a raw area of skin deerinarians that handle afvoid of hair is found. The lefected animals. sions are roughly circular and If ringworm is suspected usually 1 to 10 centimeters in in a human who has been in diameter. contact with cattle, a physician should be contacted for appropriate treatment. William C. Rebhun is Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine Treatment is difficult beand Ophthalmology, New York cause of the multiple sites and State College of Veterinary Medilarge number of animals that cine, Cornell University, Ithaca. tend to be affected. For an in-