An outbreak of dermatophilosis in sable Hippotragus niger and roan Hippotragus equinus in the Kruger National Park

Abstract

A severe skin disease diagnosed as dermatophilosis took on alarming proportions in roan antelope Hippotragus equinus and sable antelope Hippotragus niger herds, which were kept in a 256 ha enclosure in the Kruger National Park, Republic of South Africa. Only calves were effected. Numerous Dermatophilus organisms were identified in skin biopsies taken from affected areas and examined histologically. Complete recovery followed a single treatment of intramuscular injections of a combination of a long-acting penicillin and streptomycin and the topical application of a preparation which included copper sulphate and benzene hexachloride. Factors which probably contributed to the outbreak included prolonged wetness, flies, a high density of susceptible animals and playful butting behaviour of the calves. This is the first report of the occurrence of dermatophilosis as a disease entity in wildlife species in southern Africa.