The prevalence of immediate and delayed type hypersensitivity reactions to Microsporum canis antigens in cats

Spontaneous recovery from Microsporum canis infections in cats is thought to be dependent on the development of a competent immune response. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of positive delayed type hypersensitivity reactions in cats with and without dermatophytosis. Four groups of cats were intradermally skin tested with M canis extract and test sites were evaluated both subjectively and objectively at 0, 24 and 48 h after injection. Delayed intradermal testing (IDT) reactions were absent in cats not exposed to dermatophytosis (n=20); infected-recovered cats (n=38 culture negative lesion negative and n=43 lesion negative but culture positive) had significantly larger IDT reactions than unexposed cats and cats that were still actively infected (n=18). Based on the results of this study, IDT with M canis extract can be used to assess the cellular immune response of cats with dermatophytosis.