HEREDITARY SUPRABASILAR ACANTHOLYTIC MECHANOBULLOUS DERMATOSIS IN BUFFALOS (BUBALUS-BUBALIS)

A skin disease characterized by trauma-induced sloughing of haired ski n, hooves, and horns is described in four calves from a herd of Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Brazil. Affected calves were detected shortly after birth by the presence of lesions affecting the distal ex tremities, the scapular and gluteal regions, and the tip of the tail. On histologic evaluation of affected skin, the lesions were characteri zed by suprabasilar vesicles and acantholysis affecting the epidermis and outer root sheath of the hair follicle infundibulum. The basal cel l layer was intact and appeared as a single layer of cuboidal cells at tached to the dermis. Ultrastructurally, the region between the stratu m basale and the lower stratum spinosum had widened intercellular spac es with loss of desmosomal attachments, which led to the suprabasilar separation. The disease appears to be inherited as an autosomal recess ive trait.