Malassezia Yeasts in Animals in the Next-Generation Sequencing Era

The yeasts of the genus Malassezia are part of the normal skin microbiota of a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Currently, this genus includes 18 species that have been only isolated from different wild and domestic animals and humans. A main characteristic of these yeasts is their lipid dependency, which is caused by the lack of the gene encoding the fatty acid synthase. Thus, Malassezia yeasts have a predilection for sebaceous skin sites. Despite being part of the normal skin microbiota, the population of Malassezia can overgrow under certain circumstances and these yeasts can become opportunistic pathogens causing Malassezia-related diseases such as dermatitis, otitis, and other skin diseases. In dogs, Malassezia pachydermatis is considered a common etiological agent causing otitis and dermatitis. Although azole antifungals are usually effective in resolving these diseases, some cases of treatment failure have recently been reported.