Zoonoses of dermatological interest.

The zoonoses are those diseases transmitted from animals to humans. Although commonly thought to be infectious in origin such as scabies or dermatophytosis, inflammatory processes may also be zoonotic. Contact dermatitis may result from allergens being carried from animals to humans. Although the scabies mite is somewhat species specific, various mites sometimes have the opportunity of producing skin disease on man (ie, canine scabies, porcine scabies, and feline scabies [notoedric mange]); cheyletiellosis is caused by a similar mite, often found in rabbits. The index case of superficial fungal infections may be the household pet, whereas the cause of flea bite dermatitis (papular urticaria) may be the lack of an animal, resulting in the flea choosing a human for feeding. Understanding zoonotic skin diseases will improve the clinician's diagnostic skills. Both the human and animal patient will then receive more effective treatment in a quicker fashion.