Cold atmospheric plasma-aerosol treatment of equine dermatophytosis: a novel therapeutic approach.

The article details a study involving the use of cold atmospheric plasma-aerosol (CAP-A) as a new method to treat a common fungal skin condition known as dermatophytosis in horses. This approach seems to be both efficient and free from significant side effects.

Study Overview

• The research evaluates the effectiveness of the cold atmospheric plasma-aerosol treatment (CAP-A), assessing its potency as a alternative therapeutic method for treating dermatophytosis in horses.
• The condition, dermatophytosis, is a common skin infection in horses, caused by fungi. It is particularly prevalent in young and immunocompromised horses.
• Historically, antifungal medications are used to treat dermatophytosis, but they could have potentially harmful side effects. Hence, the pursuit for a safer and at least equally efficient treatment method.

Methodology

• Researchers used a 2-year-old Westphalian warmblood stallion diagnosed with dermatophyte lesions restricted to the left side of the mouth as the case study.
• The horse was treated with CAP-A, receiving two treatments (or fogging sessions) each day for 12 successive days.
• Microbiological samples were collected before and after the treatment period for comparative analysis. Photographic documentation was maintained to track the progress of the treatment.

Results and Conclusion

• The initial microbiological investigation identified dermatophyte species as the confirmed cause of the skin infection.
• Following the CAP-A treatments, post-treatment samples tested negative for all the tested dermatophytes, suggesting that the treatment had successfully eliminated the fungal infection.
• Moreover, the horse exhibited no signs of discomfort during or after the treatment sessions, implying the non-intrusive nature of the CAP-A method.
• The results of the CAP-A therapy in this case demonstrated promising results as a potential non-drug treatment option for equine dermatophytosis, successfully achieving both clinical and microbiological resolution without negative impact.
• However, researchers emphasised that this is a single case report and a broader, prospective study with larger samples will be needed to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of the treatment.