Sensitivity profile of the yeast Malassezia pachydermatiscompared with veterinary antifungals

In dogs, Malassezia infections are very common (5–10 per cent of dogs seen in dermatology clinics), and their management primarily involves antifungal treatments, either topical or systemic. Unlike antibiotics, there is currently no standardised method for carrying out antifungal susceptibility testing for M. pachydermatis, nor are there defined cut-off values for interpreting the results. In order to establish a system for monitoring resistance to these drugs, such tools must first be developed. Subsequently, they will both meet the expectations of practising vets in improving their prescribing of antifungals and provide tools capable of monitoring changes in the susceptibility of Malassezia yeasts to antifungals, for example through the implementation of event-based surveillance, based on the RESAPATH model. The MALEFIQUE project forms part of Maria Dolores Sanchez’s PhD thesis. This thesis, co-supervised by Antoine Rostang and Jacques Guillot, focuses on understanding and the therapeutic management of the dynamics of colonisation of the skin and mucous membranes by M. pachydermatis in dogs. For methodological development, validation and the sharing of strains to verify our own results, collaboration is planned with three European teams specialising in this field: in the United Kingdom (Ross Bond, Royal Veterinary College, London), in Italy (Andrea Peano, University of Turin Faculty of Veterinary Medicine) and in Spain (Sergio Álvarez-Pérez, University of Madrid Faculty of Veterinary Medicine).

This project is coordinated by Professor Jacques Guillot (ONIRIS) and supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-Food and Food Sovereignty.