This document provides an overview of dermatophilosis, a bacterial skin disease caused by Dermatophilus congolensis that affects various livestock and occasionally humans. It discusses the synonyms, definition, causative agent, epidemiology, risk factors, clinical signs, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment and prevention/control measures. Dermatophilosis is characterized by exudation and matting of hair/wool forming crusts and scabs on the skin. It is transmitted through direct contact or vectors like ticks/flies and affects young animals worldwide, causing economic losses.

1. A Presentation on
Dermatophilosis
Course no: VM 633
Course Title: Veterinary Dermatology
Prepared By-
Group B
18 VMED - JJ 11M
18 VMED - JJ 12M
18 VMED - JJ 13M
18 VMED - JJ 14M
18 VMED - JJ 15M
18 VMED - JJ 16M
18 VMED - JJ 17M

2. Outline
 Synonyms
 Definition
 Etiology
 Epidemiology
 Risk factors
 Economic Importance
 Clinical Findings
 Diagnosis
 Differential diagnosis
 Treatment
 Prevention & control

3. Synonyms
 Mycotic dermatitis in sheep
 Cutaneous streptotricosis
 Senekobo disease of cattle
 Lumpy wool of sheep
 Cutaneous antinomycosis
 Strawberry foot rot disease

4. Definition
It is a seasonal superficial skin disease of animals &
men characterized by exudation & matting of hair &
wool therefore formation of crust & scab.

5. Etiology
 Dermatophilus congolensis
 Two morphological form –filamentous hyphae &
motile zoospores.
 Gram negative, aerobic or facultative anaerobic.

6. Epidemiology
Distribution:
World wide distributed
More economic loss in Africa
Australia
New Zealand
Europe
Middle east &
North central & South America.

7. Cont…
Host Range :
 Wide
 Commonly in cattle, sheep, horse but
occasionally in horse, rarely in pigs, dogs & cats.
 Mostly affects young animals.
 Human also affected.

8. Cont…
Transmission:
 Animal to human.
 Through contact or through ticks & flies.
 Infection can be spread by shearing, dipping or
introducing an infected animal into a herd or flock.

9. Risk factors
Skin susceptibility is increased by
 Trauma
 The effect of prolong or heavy rain fall
 Exposure of unpigmented skin to the sun
 Malnutrition & concurrent disease.

10. Cont…
Factors that reduce or permeate the natural
barriers of integument are
 Rain
 High humidity
 High temperature
 Various ectoparasites

11. Economic Importance
 Defect in hides & skin
 Fleeces containing scabs become downgraded
 Decrease milk production
 Reduce fertility in dairy cow
 Performance draft cattle reduce
 Animal suffer from cachexia & death

12. Clinical Findings
 Hair mated together- paintbrush lesion.
 Crust or scab formation as initial lesion coalesce.
 Keratinized material forming wart like lesion.
 The underline skin – red coarsely granular and
often haemorrhagic.

13. Cont…
 On healing , the scab separate from skin but
remain attached to the hair.
 Oral lesions in buffaloes and bulls, erosion or
raised granulomatous lesions affect palate,
lips, and dorsal surface of the tongue

14. Fig. Dermatophilosis
Fig. Dermatophilosis Fig. Dermatophilus congolensis

15. Diagnosis
Presumptive diagnosis-
Based on skin lesions demonstration of
causative agents in scab or skin.
Confirmatory diagnosis-
Microscopic examination of the organism
Culture on blood agar media
(a narrow zone of haemolysis is seen)
FAT, ELISA and PCR also.

16. Differential diagnosis
 Dermatophilosis –
Hair matted together,
Crust or scab formation on skin,
presence of wart-like lesions.
 Scabby mouth - Scab formation
 Foot rot - Lameness, Foul smell form affected limbs
 Photosensitization- Intense irritation, Affect
unpigemented skin ( ear, muzzle, vulva, face,
conjunctiva ), Rubbing affected area.

17. Treatment
Antibiotics :
 Erythromycin – 12.50 mg / kg bwt. Daily, IM.
 Penicillin-G -10,000-20,000 IU/Kg bwt. (12-24 or
48- 72 hrs intervals), IM
 Streptomycin- 11mg / kg bwt. (12 hours intervals), IM
 Tetracycline -10 mg /kg bwt. (24 hours intervals), IM
# In chronic infection- procaine penicillin @ 22000
IU/kg and streptomycin @ 22 mg/kg bwt IM.
# If these fail – Penicillin+Streptomycin adm. Daily for
5 days or LA Oxytetracycline @ 20 mg/kg bwt, IM.

18. Prevention & control
 Direct contact and grooming materials (affected
ones) should be avoided.
 Controlling fly and tick population.
 Maintaining good hygiene in rainy season.
 After sharing and clipping animal should be
dipped in 0.5% Zn sulfate solution.
 Alum should be used in sharing.
 Maintaining quarantine .
 No satisfactory vaccine.