Skin and mucosal populations of Malassezia pachydermatis in healthy and seborrhoeic Basset Hounds

Quantitative and semiquantitative cultural techniques were used to study skin and mucosal carriage of Malassezia pachydermatis in 20 healthy mixed-breed dogs, 13 healthy Basset Hounds and 33 seborrhoeic Basset Hounds. The frequencies of isolation and population sizes from the axilla, nose, mouth and vulva were significantly greater (P < 0.01) in both groups of Basset Hounds when compared with the healthy mixed-breed dogs. Population sizes in the seborrhoeic Basset Hounds exceeded those of the healthy bassets at the nose (P < 0.05), vulva (P < 0.01) and axilla (P < 0.001). However, the frequencies of isolation and population sizes of the yeast from the anus were comparable in the three groups of dogs. The relatively high skin and mucosal populations in healthy Basset Hounds may explain, in part, the predisposition to 'Malassezia dermatitis' in this breed. However, the factors which enable the yeast to establish such high populations in Basset Hounds remain unclear.