Treatment of Feline Dermatophytosis with an Inactivated Fungal Vaccine

The efficacy of an inactivated vaccine for the treatment of feline dermatophytosis was investigated in a placebo-controlled-double-blind multi-centre GCP study in Europe. Fifty-five client-owned cats with dermatophytosis caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes or Microsporum canis, confirmed by fungal culture, were treated with either three intramuscular injections of vaccine or placebo. Treatment was applied as three intramuscular injections of vaccine or placebo every other week. Clinical symptoms were assessed at inclusion, day 14, 28 and 42. The number of lesions was counted and severity was judged based on a scoring system. Efficacy was evaluated for the reduction of the number of lesions as well as for a combined assessment of lesion severity x number of lesions. The primary endpoint was not met for the total population of cats, but was met for cats <1 year of age and for cats with a first infection. The vaccine was significantly better than placebo in cats with a first infection (sum of lesions: p = 0.0446; summed score x number: p = 0.0405) and in young cats (sum of lesions: p = 0.0424; summed score x number: p = 0.0304; mean score x number: p = 0.0177). In cats with higher numbers of more severe lesions, the difference between the two treatment groups was more apparent. Severely affected exotic cats also showed an improvement using these parameters. Based on this study, the investigated inactivated vaccine may be considered as part of a treatment protocol to accelerate healing from clinical signs of dermatophytosis in severely affected cats, in young cats and those with a first infection.