A Case of Exfoliative Dermatitis in a Captive Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)

A southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) exhibited at the Antwerp Zoo suffered from exfoliative dermatitis. Treatment with topical antibiotics was ineffective. Large numbers of Malassezia pachydermatis and Candida parapsilosis yeast cells were found in the lesions by light microscopy and culture. Application of natamycin solution b.i.d. for 1 mo and s.i.d. for another month resulted in complete recovery. In contrast to earlier reports that characterized microorganisms isolated from rhinoceros skin lesions as secondary invaders, the positive response to natamycin treatment reported here suggests the pathogenicity of both M. pachydermatis and C. parapsilosis.