Captive Wild Rabbits As Carriers Of Dermatophytes In Portugal

  • Sérgio Patinha
  • Victor Pinheiro
  • Ana Sofia Soares
  • Manuela Matos
  • Luís Cardoso
  • Carlos Venâncio
  • Ana Cláudia Coelho
Keywords: Carrier, Dermatophytes, Occurrence, Subclinical, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Wild rabbits

Abstract

The wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is one of the most important small game species in the Iberian Peninsula, but there is no information about the presence of dermatophytes in this species. Dermatophytosis or ringworm infection is a superficial skin infection with veterinary and public health importance. Data on dermatophyte carriage are crucial for epidemiological assessment and also for the design of potential control strategies in game farms, farmers and hunters. An epidemiological dermatophytosis survey was carried out in captive wild rabbits without clinical signs in Northern of Portugal, between August and December 2019. Specimen sampling was performed in 71 hair samples collected using the brush technique (MacKenzie). In this study, dermatophytes were identified in samples from five wild rabbits. The overall occurrence of dermatophyte positive animals was 7.0% (95% confidence interval: 2.3-15.6%). Trichophyton mentagrophytes was the only dermatophyte species isolated. This study suggests that wild rabbits may be carriers of T. mentagrophytes and are a potential source of infection for the farmer, hunters and other animals. Considering the scarcity of epidemiological reports in rabbits and the absence of information in this small game animal, these results can be a useful contribution towards the diagnosis and prevention in captive wild rabbit and farmers.

Author Biographies

Sérgio Patinha

Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal, 

Victor Pinheiro

Department of Zootechnics, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal

Ana Sofia Soares

Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal; Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Portugal

Manuela Matos

Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal

Luís Cardoso

Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal, 

Carlos Venâncio

Department of Zootechnics, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal

Ana Cláudia Coelho

Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal, 

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Published
2025-01-27
How to Cite
Sérgio Patinha, Victor Pinheiro, Ana Sofia Soares, Manuela Matos, Luís Cardoso, Carlos Venâncio, & Ana Cláudia Coelho. (2025). Captive Wild Rabbits As Carriers Of Dermatophytes In Portugal. Revista Electronica De Veterinaria, 26(1), 21-25. https://doi.org/10.69980/redvet.v26i1.181