Bacteria and fungi on the surface and within noninflamed hair follicles of skin biopsy specimens from horses with healthy skin or inflammatory dermatoses.

This research carried out a comprehensive study on the presence of bacteria and fungi on the skin and hair follicles of horses with healthy skin and inflamed skin conditions. It provides insight into how the prevalence of bacteria and fungi differ in horses with healthy and diseased skin.

Introduction to the Study

• The study was a retrospective research conducted using light microscopy which was aimed at assessing the prevalence of bacteria and fungi on the surface and within the hair follicles in skin biopsy samples from horses.
• The samples were extracted from 247 horses with inflammatory skin diseases and 27 horses with healthy skin. The comparison was made in order to understand if there were any significant differences in the prevalence of bacteria and fungi between healthy and diseased skin.

Key Findings

• Among the horses with skin diseases, bacteria, specifically cocci, were found on the surface of skin samples in 23% of the cases. In comparison, only 7% of the horses with healthy skin had cocci on their skin, indicating a higher prevalence in diseased skin.
• Among the nine skin diseases that had at least ten cases, bacterial folliculitis had the highest prevalence of surface bacteria (57%). The prevalence was less than 30% in the other eight diseases. This suggestive of an association between certain types of skin diseases and the prevalence of bacteria.
• A significant association was found between the prevalence of surface cocci and the extent of epidermal hyperkeratosis, a skin condition characterized by thickening of the outermost layer of the skin.
• Only 2% of the horses with skin diseases had cocci in the keratin of non-inflamed hair follicles. No such presence was found in horses with healthy skin. This may suggest that cocci could be related to skin inflammation.
• Fungal poroconidia were found on the surface of 4% of horses with skin diseases and none of the healthy horses. This drew a correlation between the presence of certain fungi and skin diseases.
• Yeasts, another type of fungi, were not found in any of the samples, eliminating it as a potential contributory factor to the skin diseases studied.

Concluding Remarks

• The study highlighted not only the prevalence of bacteria and fungi in horses with skin diseases but also their absence in healthy skin. This could direct future research to explore the development and treatment of these skin diseases.
• Further studies can also focus on understanding why bacterial folliculitis has a higher prevalence of surface fungi and how epidermal hyperkeratosis is associated with cocci.
• The absence of yeasts opens up possibilities for further studies to explore why some bacteria and fungi are present while others are completely absent in both healthy and diseased skin conditions in horses.