Veterinary Mycology

Veterinary mycology encompasses the study of fungal and fungus‐like organisms that cause disease in a wide range of animal species. These pathogens include true fungi (Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes) as well as oomycetes and other fungus‐like organisms. Clinical presentations vary from superficial infections of skin, hair and nails to life‐threatening systemic and invasive mycoses affecting the respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. Key drivers of disease emergence include climate change, intensive farming, antimicrobial usage and the interface between wildlife, domestic animals and humans. Novel diagnostic methods—from molecular assays and point‐of‐care immunochromatographic tests to advanced mass spectrometry—have enhanced species‐level identification and susceptibility profiling. Therapeutic approaches are similarly evolving, with repurposed agricultural agents, targeted veterinary formulations and structure‐guided drug design aiming to overcome inherent resistance mechanisms and minimise adverse effects. A One Health perspective is imperative, recognising the interconnections among animal health, environmental reservoirs and zoonotic potential.

Research from Nature Portfolio

High‐resolution crystal structures of fungal calcineurin complexes from major animal and human pathogens, in complex with FK506 and FKBP12, revealed fungal‐specific surface loops absent in the mammalian enzyme. Guided by these structural insights, a novel FK506 analogue bearing a C22 acetohydrazine substitution was engineered to retain potent antifungal activity while markedly reducing immunosuppressive effects in mammalian hosts. This paradigm of structure‐guided inhibitor design opens avenues for selective targeting of fungal virulence pathways without compromising host immunity.

A lateral‐flow immunochromatographic assay has been developed to detect antigens of a pathogenic oomycete in plasma, achieving nanogram‐level sensitivity. This affordable point‐of‐care cartridge delivers rapid results in field settings without reliance on centralised laboratories, offering a transformative tool for early diagnosis and outbreak control in affected animal populations.

Research from all publishers

Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) lipid profiling has emerged as a rapid method to discriminate and identify pathogen-specific lipid signatures of an aquatic oomycete, improving diagnostic precision over protein-based approaches and enabling species-level resolution within hours of sample collection.

A retrospective veterinary study has demonstrated that mefenoxam, an agricultural anti-oomycotic, when administered alongside surgical debridement in dogs with cutaneous or gastrointestinal oomycete infection, achieved a survival rate exceeding 50 per cent and significantly prolonged survival in cutaneous cases. These findings support the clinical repurposing of agricultural agents to manage refractory infections in companion animals.

In canine practice, a non-surgical protocol using voriconazole successfully resolved multiple intra-abdominal granulomas caused by a saprophytic mould, marking the first report of medical management of such lesions without surgical excision. This underscores the potential for systemic azoles to treat deep-seated mould infections in veterinary patients.

Veterinary Mycology publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in veterinary mycology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Oomycete: A group of fungus-like eukaryotes, distinct from true fungi, often causing plant and animal disease.

Calcineurin: A calcium-activated protein phosphatase essential for fungal stress responses, morphogenesis and virulence.

MALDI-TOF MS: A mass spectrometry technique that identifies organisms by analysing unique mass profiles of biomolecules.

Lateral-flow immunochromatographic assay: A rapid test strip format that uses antibody–antigen binding to produce a visible signal at the point of care.

Repurposing: The application of an existing drug, approved for one use, to a new clinical indication.

One Health: An integrative approach recognising the links among human, animal and environmental health.

References

1. Harnessing calcineurin-FK506-FKBP12 crystal structures from invasive fungal pathogens to develop antifungal agents. Nature Communications (2019).
2. Development of lateral flow immunochromatographic assay with Anti-Pythium insidiosum antibodies for point-of-care testing of vascular pythiosis. Scientific Reports (2025).
3. The Use of Mefenoxam to Treat Cutaneous and Gastrointestinal Pythiosis in Dogs: A Retrospective Study. Microorganisms (2023).
4. Multiple intra-abdominal fungal granulomas caused by Scedosporium apiospermum effectively treated with voriconazole in a Golden Retriever. Medical Mycology Case Reports (2023).