Malassezia species and its significance in canine skin disease
Malassezia spp. are named after Louis Charles Malassez who was the first to separate this yeast into a Genus of single cell fungi (“Saccharomyces”) from the previous inclusion of this fungus within the dermatophyte complex (1). Malassezia yeasts form a unique cluster of lipophilic fungi living almost exclusively on the skin and mucosal sites of warm-blooded vertebrates. Malassezia seem to be host-specific and in humans they also exhibit varied geographical distributions (1). Malassezia pachydermatis is the most prevalent and important commensal yeast of canine skin and mucosa.
Although these are commensal organisms, Malassezia also form a reservoir of potential pathogens in the stratum corneum or mucosae that may induce skin or ear disease whenever the homeostatic balance of yeast virulence and host immunity is disrupted in favor of the yeast. Canine Malassezia dermatitis is a routine diagnosis in small animal practice, occurring due to overgrowth and may have very deleterious effects on many animals. Yeast proliferation may be enhanced by either favorable environmental conditions (heat, humidity) and or changes in host susceptibility. Sites most frequently colonized by M. pachydermatis in healthy dogs include the peri-oral skin, chin, lip region, interdigital skin, perianal skin, and anal mucosa (2). Breed variations can be noted. For example, Basset hounds have significant colonization of M. pachydermatis in the nose, mouth, vulva, and axilla (3).
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Author: Jangi Bajwa
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
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