Evaluation of the dermatophyte test medium RapidVet-D

The performance of the dermatophyte test medium (DTM) RapidVet-D was assess ed using hair samples collected from experimentally infected guinea pigs. T hree dermatophyte species were included in the study: Microsporum canis, Tr ichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton equinum. DTM substrates were ino culated with infected hairs and scales, incubated at 18, 21, 24, 27 or 37 d egreesC and examined daily for 15 days. The rapidity of colour change was c learly related to the incubation temperature and to the number of infected hairs deposited on the reactive substrates. With the optimum incubation tem perature 27 degreesC, a systematic colour change could be observed only a f ew days post-inoculation: 3 days with M. canis infected hairs, 4 days with T. equinum and 5 days with T. mentagrophytes.