Dermatophilosis
Basic Information 
Epidemiology
Horses, cattle, sheep, goats and occasionally humans can be affected.
Risk Factors
• Horses that live outdoors and have minimal to no shelter are at a higher risk of developing the disease. Very wet and humid summers can also predispose horses to be affected because of the moisture that is maintained in the hair coat, which provides the appropriate conditions for the organism to proliferate.
• Debilitated, immunocompromised, or malnourished horses are more susceptible to developing the disease, but in general, any horse can develop the disease.
Clinical Presentation
Etiology and Pathophysiology
• The etiologic agent is Dermatophilus congolensis, a gram-positive actinomycete bacterium. It is a non–acid-fast, branching, filamentous aerobic bacterium that is seen as parallel rows of coccoid zoospores.
• A carrier animal, moisture, and skin abrasions are necessary conditions for development of the disease.
• The primary source of infection is chronically affected animals. When the lesions in these animals are moistened, the infective stage zoospores are released. The moisture causes epidermal maceration and the organism to be infective.
• The organism can be isolated from the environment of the affected horse.
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