The Van cat is a domestic landrace found in the Van province of eastern Turkey. In this study, we aimed to determine the seasonal carriage of dermatophytes in Van cats without clinical lesions. A total of 264 hair specimens were collected from clinically healthy cats in and around the Van Province. Of these samples, 30.3% were obtained in spring, 30.6% in summer, 16.6% in autumn, and 22.3% in winter; 45.1% of samples were from male cats and the rest from female ones. Of the studied cats, 118 were younger than 1 year, 78 were 1–3 years old, and 68 were older than 3 years. The specimens were subjected to direct microscopic examination with 15% potassium hydroxide and cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar and dermatophyte test medium supplemented with cycloheximide and chloramphenicol. Dermatophyte identification was carried out based on macroscopic and microscopic colony morphology, urease activities, in vitro hair perforation test, growth at 37 °C, and pigmentation on corn meal agar. Dermatophytes were isolated from 19 (7.1%) of the 264 specimens examined. The most frequently isolated fungi were Trichophyton terrestre (4.1%), followed by Microsporum gypseum (1.1%), M. nanum (1.1%), and T. mentagrophytes (0.7%), and these fungi may represent a health risk for humans in contact with clinically healthy Van cats. M. canis was not isolated from any of the specimens. Our results show no significant (p > 0.05) association between carriage of dermatophytes and the gender of cats. The carriage rate of dermatophytes was high in spring and winter, and the only possible risk factor for infection was age of the animal.

No abstract

No abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and distribution patterns of LSDV infections in the provinces of northern Turkey, and to detect the factors influencing the epidemiology of LSD virus infections (age, breed, season, climate, geography, population dynamic, animal movement), as well as to assess the diagnostic value of the sampled materials in the diagnosis of LSDV infections. Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an economically important cattle disease. The disease is endemic in many African countries, but outbreaks have also been reported in Turkey and the Middle East. In this study, a total of 564 samples (skin, blood and lung) from different cattle breeds (Jersey, Holstein-Friesian, Anatolian Black, Simmental and Brown Swiss) (n=465) in the many herds suspected of lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) infection as clinically and macroscopic pathologic remarks, housed in the 7 different provinces of northern Turkey, were used for gel based conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). LSDV nucleic acid was detected in 259 of 564 (45.92%) materials by PCR. According to the result of PCR, the LSDV infection was diagnosed in 54.62% (254/465) of the sampled animals. The diagnostic value of necropsy and clinical materials such as skin and lung were determined as more valuable diagnostic materials in the diagnosis of LSDV infection by PCR. Data showed that LSDV infection was widespread in the provinces of northern Turkey and that the prevalence of the infection in the region varies in accordance with factors such as geographical conditions (climate, season, location etc.) and the method of breeding. .

No abstract