Abstract
Dermatophilus congolensis infection is documented in many species of animal and humans.2-5 It is associated with warm, moist weather conditions, skin abrasions or other disruptions, and tick infections.1 Clinical disease from D. congolensis was seen in a collection of semi free-ranging captive addax (Addax nasomaculatus) located on a 400-acre mixed species pasture. From 2008 to 2012, Dermatophilus sp., was definitively diagnosed via culture in only one animal. However, one other animal had lesions diagnostic for D. congolensis infection and two additional animals had lesions either consistent with or compatible with D. congolensis infection on histopathology. Nine additional animals had a presumptive diagnosis of D. congolensis infection. The most severely affected animals were treated with a single dose of oxytetracycline (Liquamycin LA-200, Zoetis, New York, NY, USA; 20 mg/kg IM or SC), after which clinical signs resolved in all but one animal. Infection with this organism should be self-limiting but spores contained in scabs that remain in the environment may remain viable for several months.6 Of interest, none of the other exotic species housed in the pasture with these animals developed detectable infection, which may reflect preferences for certain areas by this species that are not frequented by other species or could possibly reflect differences in species susceptibility.
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