Small Mammals Q&A 20
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This question was provided by Manson Publishing as part of the OVAL Project. See more Small Mammals questions |
This wild European hedgehog is picked up out of the backyard by a concerned homeowner. It has a number of non-pruritic, scaling lesions most prominently on the head. The lesions do not fluoresce under a Wood’s lamp.
| Question | Answer | Article | |
| What is your diagnosis? | This is a case of ringworm caused by Trichophyton erinacei.
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| How would you confirm this diagnosis? | Culture a scab from the lesion on dermatophyte test medium. A heavy growth of T.erinacei is evidence of clinical disease.
Other differential diagnoses include ectoparasites and bacterial skin infection. About 25% of wild hedgehogs of this species are asymptomatic carriers of T. erinacei. |
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| What treatment would you recommend for this condition? | Administer griseofulvin for several weeks.
For wild hedgehogs accustomed to feeding from a bowl, advise the homeowner to give the daily dose of medication in a little food. A chocolate flavored pediatric elixir is particularly well accepted by hedgehogs. For captive hedgehogs, spray a solution of enilconazole (Imaverol, Janssen) on the lesions to assist in clearing up the infection and reduce the infectivity of the hedgehog to others. Use the spray once every 3–4 days for 3–4 applications. This product can also be used to treat the environment. |
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| Is there a zoonotic potential for this disease? | Yes.
T. erinacei can be transmitted to dogs and humans. In dogs, the lesions appear on the lips or muzzle either from investigating hedgehogs found while walking or by eating left-over food from a bowl at which an infected hedgehog has been feeding. The lesions on humans can be intensely pruritic, but may not resemble classic ringworm and therefore not be recognized by a medical practitioner. People working with wild hedgehogs can contract dermatophytosis without having encountered an animal with obvious lesions due to the presence of asymptomatic carriers. |
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