Developing Rapid Testing and Diagnosis for Ringworm

Ringworm is not a parasitic disease as the name suggests, but a highly transmissible fungal skin disease and the most common skin disorder in cats worldwide. The long lag time between first symptoms and diagnosis hampers rapid control of this contagious zoonotic disease. The team will collect different ringworm specimens to determine if certain strains of this fungal pathogen are more virulent than others. The team then will develop a rapid diagnostic test to improve upon existing and cumbersome testing techniques. If successful, this new and cost-effective tool will improve detection of active infections in individual cats, as well as large populations housed in shelters. The study also provides valuable training for a promising, new veterinary researcher.