Yeast fungi of the genus Malassezia in dermatological diseases in animals

The relevance of a comprehensive study of yeast fungi of the genus Malassezia and the development of modern methods for the diagnosis of diseases caused by small domestic animals. Infectious diseases of small domestic animals caused by yeasts have become a high priority in recent years among the problems of veterinary mycology. However, issues of diagnosis, therapy and prevention of yeast infections in small pets remain poorly understood. Difficulties in diagnosing Malassezia infections lead to the fact that in most cases these diseases remain undiagnosed, sick animals do not receive adequate therapy. Therefore, there is a clear need to develop affordable and practical diagnostic algorithms. Depending on the severity and location of the lesion, systemic or local antifungal drugs are used in combination with symptomatic treatment: antihistamines, antipruritic drugs. If necessary, antibiotic therapy is used and in case of using systemic antifungal drugs, hepatoprotectors are prescribed. Malassezia-associated dermatitis in animals is usually a secondary problem due to an underlying skin disease, such as allergic dermatitis (including atopic canine dermatitis and flea dermatitis), recurrent bacterial pyoderma, and endocrine diseases (especially hypothyroidism). The diagnosis of Malassezia-associated dermatitis should be based on a combination of clinical manifestations and microbiological analysis. Treatment is usually selected depending on such factors as: form (localized or generalized), general state of health of the animal, the main primary disease. A review of literature sources on this issue. The characteristics of different species of the genus Malassezia, which are present on the skin of domestic animals and have an etiological significance in the occurrence of diseases of small domestic animals. The localization of yeast fungi on the body of sick animals is described. In Ukraine, these diseases have not been purposefully studied, and the awareness of veterinarians and humane physicians about them remains unsatisfactory. Key words: yeast, fungi of the genus Malassezia, dermatitis, otitis, infection.