Severe dermatophytosis due to Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale in flocks of green iguanas (Iguana iguana)

Abstract

Objective: To describe the clinical, mycological, histopathological and molecular findings in green iguanas (Iguana iguana) affected with severe dermatophytosis in selected flocks near Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from the scales of skin lesions and tested with standard mycological methods and dermatophyte-specific PCR amplification analysis using the primer pair for the chitin synthase 1(CHS1) gene. Results: All iguanas were definitively diagnosed with dermatophytosis using both traditional and molecular diagnostic methods. PCR fingerprinting profiles using simple repetitive (GACA)4 primers showed that all diagnosed iguanas had the same pattern profile. Intraspecific variability was not observed for these isolates. Oligonucleotide sequencing of CHS1 gene PCR products confirmed Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale as the infectious agent. Clinical Significance: These results suggest that (GACA)4-based PCR has utility both as a simple and rapid method for identification of dermatophyte species and for differentiation of T. mentagrophytes variants. © 2012 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.