北台灣家兔皮癬菌症流行病學調查

皮癬菌症又稱癬，是一群嗜角質的真菌造成的淺表皮膚感染，這群真菌統稱皮癬菌，主要包括毛癬菌屬、小孢子菌屬、表皮癬菌屬等。皮癬菌的感染不僅會威脅小動物的健康，亦可能造成人畜共通傳染，也是一個重要的公共衛生問題。近年來，兔子皮癬菌感染在獸醫臨床診療上十分常見，但國內兔子皮癬菌症的患病率或帶菌率等資料，目前仍付之闕如。因此本研究將針對台灣北部地區兔子進行皮癬菌的流行病學調查，並評估家兔皮膚皮癬菌感染的潛在危險因素。 2016年3月至2018年10月，共收集250隻家兔皮屑樣本，以進行Wood’s 燈檢測、顯微鏡檢測、真菌培養，並以分子鑑定確認其菌種，檢測結果以Z 檢定和Fisher的精確檢驗用於評估皮膚皮癬菌感染的12個潛在危險因素，包括物種、年齡、體重、性別、結紮、來源、位置、生存空間、家中兔子數量、與其他動物一起生活、外寄生蟲感染、季節。研究結果在250隻家兔皮屑樣本中共檢測出29(11.6%)隻家兔感染皮膚皮癬菌，分別從28隻和1隻家兔皮屑樣本中分離出鬚癬毛癬菌和犬小孢子菌。根據Firth's bias reduction迴歸分析顯示，家兔來源(購買自寵物店)和家中兔子數量(3隻或3隻兔子以上)是主要造成臺灣家兔感染皮癬菌的主要危險因素。本研究結果有助於了解台灣家兔皮膚皮癬菌病，感染病原體和危險因素的流行情況，為預防和控制人畜傳染病提供重要參考。

關鍵字

兔子；皮癬菌症；毛癬菌；小孢子菌；表皮癬菌

並列摘要

Dermatophyosis, also named as ringworm, is a superficial cutaneous infection caused by the keratinophilic fungi, mainly belonging to the genera Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. Dermatophyte infection is not only a threat to the health of small animals, but also an important public health issue because of the potential of animal to human transmission. Rabbit dermatophyte infections are often identified clinically in Taiwan; however, only limited information was found. The aims of this study are to investigate the prevalence of dermatophytosis in pet rabbits in Northern Taiwan, and to evaluate the potential risk factors of dermatophyte infection in pet rabbits. Between March 2016 and October 2018, dander samples of pet rabbits were collected for fungal infection examination by Wood’s light, microscope, fungus culture and PCR technique. Z test and Fisher’s exact test were performed to evaluate the potential risk factors. Firth's bias reduction logistic analyses were then performed to detect the association between dermatophyte infection and the 12 potential risk factors, including animal species, age, weight, gender, ligation, source, location, living space, number of rearing rabbits, living with other animals, ectoparasite and season. Of the collected 250 dander samples of pet rabbits, 29 (11.6%) were examined dermatophyte positive, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis were isolated respectively from 28 and one rabbit dander samples. Based on the results of the Firth's bias reduction logistic analyses, animal source (rabbits purchased from pet shop) and number of rearing rabbits (≧three rabbits) were shown as the main effects for dermatophyte infection of the pet rabbits in Taiwan. The results of the present study elucidate the prevalence of rabbit dermatophyte infection, pathogens and risk factors in Taiwan, and provide an important reference for the prevention and control of rabbit dermatophytosis.