EN
Skin mycosis caused by Microsporum canis constitutes an increasing problem of epidemiological and epizootiological nature both in Europe and other non-european countries. Cats and dogs are the main reservoir of this cosmopolitan pathogen and the disease has often an enzootic course in many animal breedings. Because of lack any reports on this problem in Poland the epizootiological state is unknown and this fact grounded to undertake the studies. Of 48 pure-bred cats taking part in a display 22, i.e. 45.8 per cent proved to be carries of M. canis. The amount of spores was so high that in all cases the fungus was found by direct microscopic examinations. A much lower carrier-state was observed in Persian cats that did not take part in any display. Of 22 cats the presence of dermatophytes was noted in 4 animals (18.1 per cent), however only in two by direct microscopic examinations. By plating there were isolated M. canis from 2 cats, T. mentagrophytes from one animal and M. canis and T. mentagrophytes from one cat. In the group of short-hair cats of 15 animals only in two (13 per cent) there was stated M. canis. In contrast, in 99 dogs coming from individual owners and from one shelter for animals no carrier-state was found at all. The above examinations are the first report as regards the carrierstate of pathogenic dermatophytes in cats and dogs in Poland and the results are in general consistent with those published by other foreign authors. The findings point to the serious problem of microsporiosis in cats in Poland.