Background and Aim: Microsporum gallinae is the major dermatophyte species that causes avian dermatophytosis. Disinfection plays an important role in controlling and preventing dermatophytosis; however, information about the effect of common disinfection processes on M. gallinae is limited. This study aimed to investigate the disinfection efficacy of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, heat treatment, detergents, and germicides against infective spores (arthroconidia) and vegetative mycelia of M. gallinae.

Materials and Methods: The minimum inhibitory and minimum fungicidal concentrations of benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine, ethanol, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, phenol, povidone-iodine, and sodium hypochlorite germicides against arthroconidia and mycelia of M. gallinae American type culture collection (ATCC) 90749 were determined by broth microdilution. Time-kill assays were used to determine the fungicidal efficacy of moist heat treatment, UV irradiation, commercially available detergents, and germicides.

Results: There were no significant differences between the arthroconidia and mycelia growth stages of M. gallinae ATCC 90749 in the magnitude of the log₁₀ cell reductions in the number of viable fungal cells induced by the disinfection treatments (all p > 0.05). Moist heat treatment at 40°C did not reduce the number of viable fungal cells at any time (1–60 min); however, treatment at 50°C for 25 min and either 60°C or 80°C for 5 min eliminated > 99.999% of viable fungal cells. Irradiation of fungal cultures with UVC and UVB at doses higher than or equal to 0.4 and 0.8 J/cm², respectively, resulted in a 5-log₁₀ reduction in the number of viable fungal cells, whereas UVA only reduced the number of viable fungal cells by < 2-log₁₀ up to a dose of 1.6 J/cm². All the tested detergents demonstrated minimal fungicidal effects with < 1-log₁₀ reductions in the number of viable fungal cells at concentrations up to 8% w/v. All of the tested germicides eradicated the fungus after treatment for 1 min at 1–1000× minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), except for hydrogen peroxide, which was not fungicidal after treatment for 20 min at 100× MIC.

Conclusion: Moist heat treatment at temperatures greater than or equal to 50°C, UVC and UVB irradiation at doses higher than or equal to 0.4 and 0.8 J/cm², respectively, and treatment with all tested germicides except hydrogen peroxide can be considered effective processes for disinfecting the fungus M. gallinae from the equipment employed in poultry farming. In contrast, commercially available detergents are not suitable for use as M. gallinae disinfectants.

Keywords: arthroconidia, avian dermatophytosis, disinfection processes, Microsporum gallinae.